A 25-year-old bar assistant who slipped on pigeon faeces at the open-air restaurant in which she worked at Dublin’s Heuston Rail Station has been awarded almost €25,000 damages against CIÉ.

Its bus and rail divisions might be struggling financially with the threat of routes and services being axed, but CIÉ’s international coach tours division is still turning a small profit.

Developments worth several hundred million euro are signalled for strategic Cork city and harbour water-fronting sites, at CIÉ-owned Horgan’s Quay, and separately at Marino Point for Port of Cork.

A Waterford city trader said yesterday he had laid off nine of his 24 staff after CIÉ Tours International instructed drivers to boycott his business.