WITH reference to your report headlined ‘Immigrants unable to renew permits over admin blunder’ (February 15), I wish to clarify the situation in relation to eligibility to apply for citizenship in Ireland.

GAA chiefs are to issue a directive that every club and county board in the country must appoint a children’s officer in the coming year.

THE administration of disability services within the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform has actively promoted the concept of independent living for people with disabilities and has delivered the necessary services on a rights-based principle.

IT is a sad day for people with disabilities in Ireland.

THE Irish Human Rights Commission has appealed to the Government to reverse drastic cuts to its budget and warned any failure to do so will threaten its ability to carry out its functions.

FOURTEEN women employed as civilian clerical officers in Garda stations are claiming gender discrimination because they are paid less than gardaí doing the same work, the High Court heard yesterday.

The annual report of the Linkage Programme — which is aimed at assisting former offenders by helping them to gain access to training, education and employment — was published yesterday.

The Government has only published one piece of scheduled legislation since January despite promising 18, it was claimed today.

A 17-year-old recovering drug addict, who burgled the Department of Justice, was detained for 15 months today.

I REFER to your editorial of January 6 in connection with staffing levels in the Department of Health & Children.

I COMMEND the great work of Niall Crowley whose leadership in the Equality Authority and contribution to equality and human rights in Ireland has been outstanding.

Suicide rates among Irish Travellers are up to five times higher than the rest of society, a report found today.

JUSTICE Minister Dermot Ahern is putting a stop to the glossy brochures, extravagant information campaigns and fanfare surrounding launches by state agencies under his department.

Documents sought from the Belgian justice authorities by a Meath aviation broker accused of attempting to import heroin valued at €10m have been received, a court has been told.

The National Disability Authority (NDA) is an independent statutory agency established under the aegis of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

AN ADVOCACY project aimed at helping people with disabilities claim their entitlements, access services and have their voices heard was launched yesterday in Waterford.

A childcare lecturer convicted of sexual assault charges was allowed to carry on in his post despite health chiefs, senior gardaí and the Government being made aware of the allegations against him.

AN EFFORT by the Irish language ombudsman to establish if a district judge could speak fluent Irish has been blocked by the Government.

AN EPISODE of The Bill shown on RTÉ last December which featured a man committing suicide has been deemed “totally inappropriate” for a daytime schedule by the Broadcasting Complaints Commission.

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform Brian Lenihan announced today that the Government has approved his proposal to establish an Advisory Group to examine key aspects of the law governing the sale and consumption of alcohol.

ALMOST 2,000 calls were made to the crime victims’ helpline this year, figures have revealed.

IN RESPONSE to your report on the domestic violence code (December 3), I would like to clarify that the South East Domestic Violence Intervention Programme is not funded by the Community Development Programme, but by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform through the new government office, Cosc.

A massive covert investigation is under way into trafficking of people into Ireland to be sold for sex and work, the Government revealed today.

The fight against child pornography is to be stepped up with a new Government watchdog on internet safety, it was announced today.

THE report of the expert group to examine and make recommendations on the legal issues of land access for recreational use is an important contribution to the debate.

The Gardaí will have to sign up to accountability laws once major reforms of the force are bedded down, the Government signalled tonight.

FOLLOWING a special meeting of the Violence Against Women (VAW) non-governmental sector, we strongly rejected the recently announced COSC: the Irish Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (Irish Examiner, May 17).

THE Tanaiste pledged €500,000 yesterday to expand a national programme which uses guide dogs to help children with autism.

THE Tanaiste pledged €500,000 yesterday to expand a national programme which uses guide dogs to help children with autism.

The Government launched its National Women’s Strategy 2007-2016 yesterday.

THE independently-owned business-to-business postal services company DX Ireland has won a €1 million contract to undertake business mail services to the Property Registration Authority.

Grants worth €6m have been earmarked to support people with disabilities across Ireland, it was revealed today.

There was confusion tonight over the fate of a potentially historic antique pistol reluctantly handed over to gardai during a gun amnesty.

The State's spending watchdog has criticised the price the Government paid for the site of a planned new prison complex on the outskirts of Dublin.

MORE than 4,000 people have registered their opposition to legalising gay marriages, by letter, to the working group set up to guide Government policy on the issue.

A NURSING home has scooped top hotels to win a new award for welcoming migrant workers into the workplace.

The Taoiseach must sack Minister of State Frank Fahey over allegations of dodging tax, it was claimed tonight.

AN Amnesty International report has questioned the State’s commitment to tackling the problem of institutional racism by claiming there is a “fatal tension” in a key department.

GARDAÍ were given an anonymous letter stating that the Continuity IRA was going to target last Saturday's Love Ulster rally in Dublin, according to the garda report into the riots.

ISN’T it funny how sometimes really important things happen and nobody pays them a blind bit of attention?

I SEEM to recall that during the last debate on ID cards, it was pointed out that they don’t stop those who wish to ignore the law and are also expensive to administer.

Firms that pay highly educated women less than men for the same job are reflecting the bias, prejudice and discrimination of wider society, it was claimed today.

More than €5m is to be paid out to improve services and facilities for the disabled around the country, it emerged tonight.

The Disability Act 2005 should be welcomed as a step in the right direction, although many action groups are not pleased with the Government’s reluctance to move towards a rights- based policy model.