THE dishevelled-looking homeless man, slumping under the weight of a filthy sleeping bag draped around his shoulders, was quietly ushered away from the Eamon Gilmore campaign stunt he had stumbled across.

A charity for children with life-limiting conditions has given its complete backing to a new petition calling for all seriously-ill children to automatically receive medical card help.

The Government is facing a class action in Brussels over the lack of a national paediatric homecare budget after a “rude” and “gruff” health minister was accused of refusing to engage on the subject with a renowned children’s campaigner.

The Jack and Jill Foundation is calling for as many people as possible to support their Easter fundraising drive.

THERE were shocked faces and screams of delight at St Colmcille’s National School, Knocklyon and Presentation Convent, Drogheda yesterday as X Factor double-act, Jedward, paid students a visit.

FAMILIES with brain-damaged children will collapse if a cash-starved charity is forced to cut its support services by 30% next year, an Oireachtas committee has been told.

A children’s charity today renewed an appeal for people to hand over their old mobile phones to be recycled or given to developing countries.