A potential conflict of interest has been identified by the HSE in an audit of the manner in which contracts worth €338,000 were awarded to a private firm by a hospital group whose chief executive had a business interest in the same company.

Nem Bai was told getting a tubectomy would be an easy process — that she’d be home by sunset, a few hundred rupees richer and back to work in the fields within two days.

CORK was dealt another major jobs blow yesterday when a large call centre announced it is shutting down within weeks with the loss of 84 jobs.

Enterprise Minister Micheál Martin tonight expressed his surprise and disappointment at the closure of a customer contact centre in Co Cork.

Up to 100 new jobs are to be created by a marketing consultancy firm at its customer services centre at Blackrock, Co Cork.