IRELAND ranks among the worst countries in Europe in terms of discrimination against ethnic minorities from sub-Saharan Africa, a European report has revealed.

THE slashing of 41 State agencies will be a “first installment” in a long term plan of reducing so-called quangos, Finance Minister Brian Lenihan said last night.

GARDA numbers will continue to grow under Budget 2009, but the force’s overtime budget is being slashed by up to a third.

ASSAULTS, unlawful arrests and “other breaches of citizens’ rights” by gardaí have cost the taxpayer more than €3m so far this year, latest figures show.

As part of the GAA's Games Development Programme, a number of significant new resources were launched in the theatre of the GAA Museum in Dublin today.