A round-up of today's other home news, in brief ...
Governments urged to discuss "hot pursuit"
An influential group of MPs is calling on the British and Irish governments to discuss “hot pursuit” proposals allowing police to chase suspects in the neighbouring jurisdiction. The recommendation is included in a report filled with proposals to widen and deepen North-South co-operation.
The Northern Ireland committee wants relevant Ministers in Dublin and Belfast to consider surveillance and hot pursuit measures along those already in operation in countries which have signed up to the Schengen agreement which governs border controls.
The committee, which includes Northern MPs, also calls for technologies between the Garda and the PSNI to be shared.
The MPs’ report welcomes what it calls the sympathetic attitude taken by the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) to the extension of the Criminal Jurisdiction Act which allows for the creation of extra-territorial offences as well as the collection of evidence in one jurisdiction for use in the other.
The report calls on the NIO to undertake a review of offences, including human trafficking and fraud with a view to providing that offenders who commit such crimes in NI may be tried in the Republic and vice versa.
Group to help Presbyterian savers
An agreement to set up a working group aimed at saving the crisis-stricken Presbyterian Mutual Society has been greeted by the moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, writes Dan Keenan.
British prime minister Gordon Brown, Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness discussed the plan during talks at Downing Street on Wednesday.
Under the plan, a working group involving officials from Stormont and the treasury in London will be formed to examine what help can be given to the society, which has been in administration since last autumn. Moderator Stafford Carson said the decision to form the group was “very positive”. “I am confident that things are now moving forward towards resolving this very difficult situation,” he said. “This is the best news we have had since the crisis broke.”
Not guilty verdict in work death case
A consulting engineering company and senior project engineer have been acquitted of breaches of the Health and Safety Act arising out of a fatal accident at a construction site in Ringsend, Dublin, seven years ago. Following submissions, Judge Martin Nolan told the jury on Wednesday, day five of the trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, that he was directing it to return verdicts of “not guilty”. Hanley Pepper Limited, of Owenstown House, Fosters Avenue, Blackrock, had pleaded not guilty, and Mr Michael Jackson (33), of Dun Emer Crescent, Rush, a senior project engineer, had also pleaded not guilty to the same charge.