Local charities in Kerry got less than €50,000 from the court poor box last year, while international charities benefited to the tune of €480,000 from offenders who came before the county’s courts.

Irish food scientists are collaborating with European partners to help Ethiopia develop sustainable seed potato systems.

President Michael D Higgins has paid tribute to the solidarity shown by the former workers at the Vita Cortex factory in Cork.

The workers who spent more than five months occupying a factory in pursuit of redundancy payments have been invited to dine with the President.

A former Vita Cortex worker who spent five months on a factory sit-in said she is now prepared to go to jail for not paying the household tax.

There were hugs, kisses, the odd tear, and a determined message that the Government must ensure workers get their just entitlements as one of the longest sit-ins in industrial relations history ended.

The long-awaited deal to secure the Vita Cortex workers ex-gratia redundancy was finally signed off on yesterday.

Vita Cortex workers are expecting redundancy funds to begin flowing into their bank accounts from today as their marathon 151-day sit-in nears its end.

After 139 days of round-the-clock sit-ins, the former employees of Vita Cortex have finally secured a severance deal with their former employer which will allow them to go home within a fortnight.

The former Vita Cortex workers are keeping their powder dry after meeting to discuss escalating their almost five-month dispute over redundancy payments.

Former Vita Cortex workers have urged company boss Jack Ronan to accept new recommendations to end their four-month sit-in and let them “go home to their families”.

Siptu last night called on Vita Cortex boss Jack Ronan to respond to reports that Nama has offered him a way of ending the 111-day sit-in by his former workers in Cork.

Frustrated ex-workers involved in a sit-in at the Vita Cortex plant have escalated their protest by blocking access to the factory site and preventing the removal of goods by sister company Vita Clean.

Union officials representing the Vita Cortex workers have insisted manager Jack Ronan has a clear moral obligation to compensate his staff, regardless of whether he has a legal obligation to pay extra redundancy.

There are hopes of a breakthrough in the long-running Vita Cortex dispute after Siptu agreed last night to attend talks at the Labour Relations Commission next week.

Workers at Vita Cortex have defended their decision to reject an offer of partial redundancy payments designed to end their 78-day sit-in.

Vita Cortex workers are not entitled to get any kind of “top-up” from the company which employed them on statutory redundancy paid by the Government, the Department of Social Protection has said.

City officials have ruled out a proposal to allow the Vita Cortex workers lead Cork’s St Patrick’s Day parade.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny strongly indicated today that the protesting Vita Cortex workers in Cork should get their full redundancy of 2.9 weeks’ wages per year of service.

The Vita Cortex workers have vowed to continue their sit-in despite threats of legal action.

The Vita Cortex workers hope that a crucial meeting today between the Taoiseach and the Enterprise Minister will result in a breakthrough in their protracted 54-day sit-in.

“If I could pick up the phone and tell him to find the redundancy money, I would.”

The former Vita Cortex workers have been told they will receive their statutory redundancy entitlements from the Department of Social Protection early next week — but their protest at the manufacturing plant in Cork will go on.

While recognising Vita Cortex workers’ rights to protest, the efforts of management to find a resolution should be acknowledged, writes John McHenry

Vita Cortex workers have taken their protest to the home of one of the company’s owners in Douglas, Cork.

THE Labour Relations Commission (LRC) will chair talks next week in a bid to end the month-long Vita Cortex sit-in.

SIPTU’S president has urged NAMA to find a way to break the Vita Cortex redundancy impasse and help the workers who continued their sit-in through Christmas.

“WE’RE not giving up without a fight.”

International financial services group Aviva has announced that it has reached an agreement with UBI Banca for the acquisition of the Italian life insurance company Vita for €65m.

London investors applauded the news today that leisure group Whitbread is in talks to sell some or all of its Marriott hotels in the UK.

The FTSE 100 Index held its own above the 4900 level today despite another reserves downgrade by Shell and a poor start on Wall Street.

Rising raw material prices today led foam maker British Vita to warn that profits would be slightly below the £50.7m (€73.3m) reported for 2003.