Other stories in brief
Two men face charges over firearm seizure
Two men are to appear at the District Court on two chargesrelating to the possession of a firearm and ammunition. The men were questioned by gardaí in Co Louth as part of an ongoing investigation into the sale and supply of guns in the State.
The men, along with another man and a woman, were arrested following the seizure of a firearm, ammunition and cash when two cars were stopped and searched in the Castlebellingham and Haggardstown areas outside Dundalk on Thursday night.
The four suspects, aged 20-30, were taken to Garda stations in Dundalk and Carrickmacross for questioning. The man and the woman who were questioned at Carrickmacross Garda station were released yesterday evening.
Trustees warned on private equity
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) has called on the Government and pension trustees "to wake up to the threat posed by private equity funds to sustainable employment", writes Martin Wall, Industry Correspondent.
It said that private equity, or leveraged buyout firms, used investment money from pension funds, university endowments and wealthy individuals to buy public companies and take them private. It said the companies were then taken off the stock market and away from public scrutiny.
Ictu senior economist Paul Sweeney said the volume of private equity deals had grown by 600 per cent in the past five years.
"Congress is concerned that private equity companies are gaining huge power while avoiding public attention and accountability. As our budget submissions have highlighted, they can receive tax subsidies to service debts incurred in a takeover, and funded by shedding jobs, to pay interest changes incurred during the takeover," he said.
Ictu this week joined with unions in 25 other countries in calling for action on private equity funds.
Man cleared of murder
A Co Meath man who had pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his friend was found not guilty of his murder at the Central Criminal Court yesterday.
The jury of six men and six women took just under three hours to reach a unanimous verdict, finding John Paul Mooney (29), Trim Road, Summerhill, Co Meath, not guilty of murdering Thomas Canning (42), also from Summerhill, at Lough Lene, Collinstown, Co Westmeath, on August 30th last.
Mooney had pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Canning and was yesterday remanded in custody until July 31st for sentencing.