SCORES of people, mainly from the arts community, protested outside one of the country’s largest theatres which is set to close its doors for three months tomorrow.

ONE of the country’s largest theatres is to close for three months as part of a cost-cutting survival plan.

FINE Gael has called on the Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey to make a public statement about a suspect land deal after obtaining a memo under Freedom of Information which shows the minister discussed the matter in 2008.

Noel Meade bagged a second Grade One inside the space of 24 hours as Hollo Ladies followed up Go Native’s Kempton success in the Paddypowerpoker.com Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown.

CORK construction firm John F Supple expects to trade out of its current difficulties, despite recording pre-tax losses of €14.6 million in the 21 months to the end of September 2008.

HSE PLANS to replace an outdated child intensive care unit described in a report as “a potential risk to patient safety” could be scrapped due to budget cutbacks.

THE chairman of the board of a kitchen and bathroom supply company has denied claims of carrying on the company’s business in a reckless manner and has claimed he too was a victim of a “fraud” allegedly perpetrated on the company by its chief executive and chief operating officer.

MANAGERS heading for football’s January sales look like they’ll be buying in the High Street rather than Bond Street.

HEALTH chiefs admitted yesterday that they don’t know how many people are employed in the €12 billion-a-year service.

Shoppers are expected to spend €22m an hour today, on the last shopping day before Christmas.

The Health Service Executive says no decision will be taken until the New Year on whether the controversial PPARS computer system will be rolled out nationally.

The Tánaiste Mary Harney has confirmed that the Comptroller and Auditor General's report into the controversial PPARS computer payroll system will be published this week.

THE ESB will require outside investment if the State-owned electricity company is to continue with expansion plans.

PROBLEMS with Government IT projects could have been identified 18 months ago, saving millions of euro, if an investigation demanded by the Dáil Public Accounts Committee (PAC) had been carried out.

The consultancy firm Deloitte and Touche has reportedly been earning around €1m-a-month to work on the two computer systems suspended by the Health Service Executive last week.

JUST when the health services thought that it had finally put a lid on the PPARS controversy, a letter appeared yesterday that again put the Department of Health and the Health Services Executive (HSE) on the back foot.

The opposition has continued to attack the Government in the Dáil over the health service's controversial computerised payroll system.

The Health Service Executive is expected today to temporarily shelve its faulty payroll system until it is properly re-examined.

TÁNAISTE Mary Harney conceded last night that hiring expensive consultants had become the “norm” for Government departments.

ACCOUNTANCY and consulting firm Deloitte and Touche first became involved in the health services, Payroll, Personnel and Related Services (PPARS) project in October 2002 as “implementation partner” for the project’s roll-out.

TÁNAISTE Mary Harney last night described as “extraordinary and excessive” the fees paid to outside consultants on the botched Payroll, Personnel and Related Services project.

The Health Service Executive is to temporarily shelve its faulty payroll system tomorrow until it is re-examined, Health Minister Mary revealed tonight.

THE Government was left reeling last night as it struggled to face down intense opposition attacks on a new payroll system for the health service that has cost a staggering 20 times more than its original estimated cost.

A COMPANY formed nearly three years ago to operate a hotel in Co Cork was wound up by the High Court yesterday on the petition of dancer Michael Flatley who claims it owes him more than €2 million.

DESSIE HUGHES reports Hardy Eustace to be back in top form but thinks the two-and-half-mile trip may well play to Solerina’s strengths, particularly as she is fit from racing, in the Giltspur Scientific Tara Hurdle at Navan tomorrow.

WHAT a self-interested bunch of elected representatives we have in Ireland.

Michael O’Farrell, Political Reporter

THE battle to harmonise tax rates across Europe is likely to hot up rather than disappear over the next few months, despite the elimination of potential loop-holes in the new Constitution.

THE Irish Sports Council have reinstated suspended funding to Swim Ireland.

TOM TAAFFE’S Kicking King consolidated his position near the head of Cheltenham’s Arkle Trophy market with a satisfactory display to land the Irish equivalent, the Arkle Cup at Leopardstown yesterday.

PROSECUTORS piled pressure on Parmalat’s former finance chief on Tuesday to reveal how billions of euro vanished from the food group, as US banking giant Citigroup and accounting firms faced legal action in the widening scandal.

NEW technology developed in Ireland will cut some patients’ waiting times in hospital from three hours to just 15 minutes.

A new survey by Deloitte and Touche reveals that 500 of Irelands top companies have had to fork out an extra 32% in waste management costs in the last two years.

THE Government’s health funding policies have again come under attack following the exposure of a litany of vital equipment failures and hygiene problems in Irish hospitals.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland (ICAI) said yesterday it will continue to argue for a harmonisation of reporting obligations regarding company accounts.

The Labour Party has called for a re-assessment of the proposed Companies Auditing and Accounting Bill following criticism yesterday of two of Ireland's leading accountancy practices.

LOCAL authorities are considering introducing a 10,000 levy on all new homes which would push up the price of an average house by at least 4%.

THE Bowe family, already looking forward to Limestone Lad in the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, will travel with all guns blazing following the superb display of Solerina in yesterday’s Deloitte and Touche Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown.

TIMMY MURPHY, riding at the very top of his form, will again team up with market leader Beef Or Salmon in Sunday’s 92,900 to the winner Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown.

SHOPPERS gearing up for an €1.8 billion Christmas shopping spree believe the introduction of the euro has reduced their spending power dramatically.

DOCTORS will have to repay millions wrongly given to them for treating up to 20,000 medical card patients who were either dead or ineligible, the Department of Health insisted last night.

Information technology firms have announced that they plan to increase their spending budget next year.

The true extent of ITV Digital’s shaky finances could be revealed today when the Football League ask the High Court to release confidential documents withheld when the debt-laden broadcaster went into administration.

A lack of staff at the Forensic Science Laboratory is allowing many drug dealers to walk free because drug samples cannot be analysed in time for prosecutions to be brought, Fine Gael's justice spokesman Alan Shatter claimed today.