ThePost.ie

Audit reveals litany of foster care failures

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

By John Burke and Ian Kehoe

A review has been ordered into foster care in the south of the country after a damning audit found that children were routinely placed with people who had not been vetted.

IL&P paid more than €4m to former executives

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

By David Clerkin

Irish Life& Permanent has paid more than €4 million to former chief executive Denis Casey and two other senior executives who resigned last year after details emerged about the institution's controversial transactions with Anglo Irish Bank.

Regulator to impose strict capital rules on Irish banks

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

By Cliff Taylor and Pat Leahy

The Financial Regulator is set to impose stringent new capital standards on the banks as they prepare to begin transferring property loans to the National Asset Management Agency (Nama).

State in €1.5 million settlement with National Aquatic Centre underbidder

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

By Pat Leahy, Political Editor

The state has paid about €1.5 million in a legal settlement with the underbidder for the contract to build the National Aquatic Centre.

Report is set to call for drastic improvements to restart growth

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

By Pat Leahy Political Editor

The economy will not return to growth simply by improving competitiveness and waiting for the global economy to pick up, the government has been warned by its expert group on innovation.

Cullen may resign Dáil seat this week

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

By Pat Leahy Political Editor

Martin Cullen, the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, is expected formally to indicate his intention to resign from the cabinet to the Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, this week.

Adams proposes new tax rate for high earners

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

By Pat Leahy Political Editor

A third rate of tax for those earning more than €100,000 a year and a ''solidarity tax'' of 1 per cent on all non-farm assets worth more than €1 million were among the proposals made by the Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams last night, in his televised speech to the party's ard fheis in Dublin.

Gardaí to refuse to take work phone calls at home

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

By John Burke

Gardaí are to refuse to take work-related phone calls in their personal time, in the first move of a new campaign of non-cooperation over public sector pay cuts.

Multimillion-euro takeover for Xerox company

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

A Dublin company that specialises in selling Xerox printers and photocopiers is close to being acquired in a multimillion euro deal, writes Ian Kehoe.

Mahon Tribunal barristers shared €3.7 million in fees since last sitting

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

By John Burke Public Affairs Correspondent

Eighteen barristers at the Mahon Tribunal have shared €3.7 million in fees since December 2008, although the inquiry has not heard any evidence in that period.

Fleming's liabilities higher than expected

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

By Ian Kehoe Chief News Correspondent

The Fleming construction group, which collapsed last week after the Supreme Court refused to approve a rescue plan, has total liabilities of €1.81 billion, more than €800 million higher than previously stated.

Losses increase pressure for Aer Lingus cutbacks

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

By Nicola Cooke

Mounting financial losses which will be reported by Aer Lingus this week will increase the pressure on the airline to move quickly to cut its costs.

Church of Ireland seeks refusal clause in civil union law

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

By Pat Leahy Political Editor

A delegation from the Church of Ireland is to meet Department of Justice officials tomorrow to press for a 'freedom of conscience' clause in the Civil Partnership Bill.

Naming rights for Thomond's East Stand on market

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

Munster Rugby is to seek a naming rights partner at Thomond Park, but will stop short of giving up the rights to name the Limerick stadium, writes Linda Maher.

Retailers push for urgent action on rent reviews

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

By Samantha McCaughren and Ian Kehoe

Retailers are stepping up pressure on the government to introduce a retrospective ban on upward-only rent reviews as a growing number of shops face closure.

ESB fund to invest €5m in wind venture

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

By Gavin Daly

Novus Modus, a renewable energy fund set up by the ESB, is to invest more than €5 million in a new wind-energy venture.

Four Dublin local authorities face multimillion-euro bill over failed waste cases

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

By John Burke Public Affairs Correspondent

The four Dublin local authorities are facing a multimillion euro legal bill after costs were awarded against them in two High Court actions taken by a private waste firm.

Hunters 'in legal quandary' over gun licence error

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

By John Burke Public Affairs Correspondent

The Department of Justice took four months to inform the Department of the Environment about a major error in its new firearms licensing system.

Hoteliers want quicker rates review

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

By Susan Mitchell

The country's hoteliers are willing to help fund a national review of commercial rates in order to speed up the process of revising them, according to the new president of the Irish Hotels Federation.

State cuts 'would compromise the racing industry'

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

By Ian Kehoe

The equestrian industry would be ''seriously undermined'' and ''compromised'' if the state cut or withdrew funding for the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund, according to a new report.

Harcourt to redevelop Galway Shopping Centre

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

By Ian Kehoe

Property firm Harcourt Developments has been given the go-ahead from An Bord Pleanála for a €200 million redevelopment of the Galway Shopping Centre.

Green motion to require TDs to declare property loans

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

By Niamh Connolly Political Correspondent

Tough new rules that would require TDs and senators to declare details of all their property loans will be debated at the Green Party convention later this month.

Moves to ensure domicile levy not avoided

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

By Ian Kehoe and David Clerkin

The government has moved to ensure that wealthy individuals will not be able to avoid the new €200,000 domicile levy by transferring assets to members of their family.

Irish investors in the rough

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

Irish investors could lose as much as $90 million on their investment in a prestigious golf course in Florida, writes Gavin Daly

Coach firms call for a new number-plate system

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

Coach operators want the government to introduce a new system of personalised number plates that could yield €4 million for the exchequer, writes Susan Mitchell.

Chile insurance claims set to hit $8bn

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

By Donncha Mac Raghnaill in Santiago

The Chilean earthquake could cause the second largest flood of insurance claims the world has ever seen, experts are predicting.

Europe waits to see if Greece can enforce austerity measures

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

By Anthee Carassava in Athens

When all else fails, cut, cut and cut again. Under pressure from investors and neighbours alike, Greece last week ordered an additional $6.5 billion in radical budget cuts, slashing 30 per cent off civil servants' holiday bonuses and slapping fresh taxes on consumers.

Threat of violence casts a long shadow over election in Iraq

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

By Stephen Starr in Damascus

More than a million police and security personnel have been called in to guard polling stations in cities and towns across Iraq, as around 19 million people vote in parliamentary elections today.

'Forgotten' Iraq drifts back into US consciousness

2010-03-07T00:00:00+01:00

By Niall Stanage in New York

Iraq has slipped down the list of American priorities in recent months, but that could change rapidly if serious strife ensues after today's parliamentary elections.