The Leaving Certificate puts too much pressure on young people and doesn’t prepare them for life in the real world, it was claimed today.

BACKGROUND checks will be carried out on most people who work with children, the Government is expected to announce today.

PROPOSALS contained in the Intoxicating Liquor Bill are nonsensical and legally impossible to enforce, a leading criminal law expert has said.

The National Youth Federation is making an appeal to Justice Minister John O'Donoghue to grant them procedures for garda clearance of their volunteers.