A compensation pay-off of €903,000 to directors for loss of office at the Irish arm of car rental firm Hertz contributed to pre-tax profits slipping to €12.88m in 2015.

THE main Irish-based unit of car-hire giant Hertz has stated it is committed to further job creation here as it confirmed that operating profits last year increased by 7% to €6.3 million.

HUMAN embryonic stem cell (HESC) research is promoted publicly on the basis that it will soon cure a variety of human diseases.