Today's other stories in brief
Goal calls for value audit before cuts
The aid agency Goal has called on the Government to conduct an audit on its entire overseas development programme before deciding where to apply the €100 million cut announced in the Budget, writes
Mary Fitzgerald.
Goal said a “value for money” audit should take place before the cuts, which will reduce this year’s overseas aid budget to €696 million, are imposed.
“It is vital that this exercise is carried out in the interest of fairness and common sense,” said Goal chief executive John O’Shea. “Not all of the Governments aid cash is used to help those in greatest need.” Mr O’Shea has long been a critic of the bilateral assistance component of Ireland’s overseas aid budget.
Strike ballot by store workers
Workers in 16 Shaws department stores across the country are to be balloted on strike action, the Mandate trade union announced yesterday.
The move follows a cost-cutting programme proposed by management last month in response to what it said was a “general decline in the economy, and consumer spending in particular”.
The most significant element of the cuts would be redundancies affecting up to 40 staff, but Tom O’Brien of Shaws said the company gave a commitment in writing not to proceed with any such changes pending a conciliation conference under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission.
Adams meets Hamas leader
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has held an hour-long meeting with the Hamas leader in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, during a visit to the area, writes Deaglán de Bréadún, Political Correspondent.
“I was pleased to speak directly with Mr Haniyeh. I outlined to him Sinn Féin’s view that there should be a complete cessation of all hostilities and armed actions by all sides,” Mr Adams said.
“I emphasised our opinion that dialogue, including substantive and inclusive negotiations, and a genuine peace process is the only way forward for Palestinians and Israelis,” the Sinn Féin leader said.
Sympathy books over killings
Peace activists in Malahide, Co Dublin, have presented books of condolences to the PSNI in Belfast and to the British army in Lisburn over the murders of Constable Stephen Carroll and British soldiers Patrick Azimkar and Mark Quinsey, writes Gerry Moriarty, Northern Editor.
The books of condolence were opened in the joint parishes of St Sylvester and the Sacred Heart in Malahide.