An Post has put forward further proposals in an effort to resolve the dispute with the Irish Postmasters Union (IPU) over the opening of certain post offices on the Saturdays of bank holiday weekends.
The High Court yesterday adjourned to July 19th legal proceedings arising from the dispute. On May 17th, An Post got a High Court order which restrained 43 postmasters/postmistresses from closing on the Saturday of the June Bank Holiday weekend. The 43 - out of a total of 1400 - had closed their offices on the Saturday of the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.
Yesterday, when the case again came before him, Mr Justice Kelly recalled that An Post had made certain proposals two weeks ago. Those proposals were to be considered by the IPU executive and there was the possibility of a meeting of the entire union to take place.
Mr Anthony Kerr, for the IPU, said he did not think the meeting would take place. However, An Post had advanced further proposals last Friday which needed to be considered by the union executive at its next meeting on July 12th.
Mr Kerr said the union's solicitors had also been seeking to ascertain the views of the 43 postmasters. As things stood, most of the individual defendants had indicated they were happy with whatever course the union took. In those circumstances, Mr Kerr said, he wished that the matter be adjourned. Mr Justice Kelly adjourned the case for mention on July 19th.
Boy (2) dies after road accident
A two-year-old boy who was involved in a road accident last Friday in Co Kilkenny has died in hospital.
The accident happened on the Carrick-on-Suir to Kilmoganny road on Friday just before 6 p.m.
The child has been named as John Paul Holland, Kilmoganny Road, Thomastown. Following the accident, he was taken to St Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny, where he died late on Sunday night.
Police name road accident victim
The police in Derry yesterday named the man killed in a road traffic accident in Claudy, Co Derry, early yesterday morning. He was Michael Gormley (29), Carnanreagh Road, Claudy. Mr Gormley was killed when the Mitsubishi Shogun he was driving crashed into trees as he drove along the Sallowilly Road, close to his home.
Suspect package in Four Courts
The Four Courts in Dublin had to be cleared for more than an hour early yesterday when a suspect package - which turned out to be harmless - was found outside the main front doors of the building. Hundreds of staff, lawyers, litigants and members of the public left the building and units of Dublin Fire Brigade stood by while the Army examined the package.
Gardaí prevented traffic from using the quays outside the Four Courts and it was diverted on to adjoining streets. The alert arose just as most of the courts were about to sit. After business eventually got under way, proceedings ran late for the remainder of the day. The discovery of the package yesterday followed a similar incident some weeks ago.
Legal argument in manslaughter trial
The trial of two men for the manslaughter of a vegetable delivery man whose body was found in a shed behind Dublin airport has continued with legal argument in the absence of the jury.
Mr Joseph Zambra (28), Inagh Rd, Ballyfermot, Dublin and Mr Kevin McCarron (51), Arklow, Co Wicklow, have both denied charges of false imprisonment, assault and manslaughter of Noel Heffernan on a date unknown in August 1999.