Business, engineering, and technology are among college degrees that have seen the biggest rises in demand among students, latest Central Applications Office (CAO) data reveal.

Report: Government’s spend target of 2% of GDP not enough

Electioneering is all about snappy promises and clever sound bites. There is little space for setting out a long-term vision. There are few votes in talking about sewers, drains or reservoirs, yet our capital investment spending is likely to determine the country’s prosperity 10 or 20 years down the line.

The Construction Industry Council has called on the environment minister to commit to reviewing a new ‘opt out’ on statutory certification of new one-unit properties — even though the regulation only comes into force tomorrow.

Good evening. Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today.

Our water network is complicated and antiquated. We do not have time to stall improvements any longer, writes Caroline Spillane

Complaints made against doctors for failing to treat patients with dignity have doubled in the past two years. The Medical Council received 65 complaints about doctors being disrespectful last year — up from 34 in 2013.

Health Minister Leo Varadkar said the recall to hospitals of hundreds of patients following a review of thousands of X-rays was more about quality assurance and control than anything else.

Three in ten doctors reported being bullied or undermined while they were in training, according to a new survey from the Irish Medical Council.

We rely heavily on overseas doctors to prop up our health service — but their training opportunities appear thin on the ground compared to our homegrown medical graduates, new figures indicate.

There has been a 23% increase in the number of young doctors leaving Ireland.

THE Medical Council intends to introduce cultural and clinical training for foreign doctors in a response to the large number of non-Irish medics appearing before its disciplinary bodies.

Almost 7% of the doctors registered with the Medical Council in 2012 had not practised medicine in the last 12 months, and of those who had, 15% practised outside Ireland and 14% worked part time.

Complaints about doctors have risen by more than 40% in the past four years, figures show.

As the committee hearing on abortion begins, it seems like some of the politicians present want to leave well enough alone, writes Michael Clifford

Eight doctors were struck off the medical register last year — the same as the total number removed over the previous three years, it has emerged.

THE wife of a former garda superintendent whose chances of surviving cancer were significantly reduced by the actions of his doctor has spoken for the first time about the trauma of his illness, his death and their battle to extract the truth from their GP.

THE Medical Council has drawn up a protocol designed to avoid the kind of administrative mess that has left about 85 junior doctors jobless more than two months after travelling here from India and Pakistan.

COMPLAINTS against doctors increased by more than a fifth last year, but people in Ireland are still less likely to complain than people in Britain, according to the Medical Council.

The Medical Council has today announced the appointment of Caroline Spillane as its new chief executive.

There has been an increase in the number of women over 35 contacting the Crisis Pregnancy Agency.

THE finishing touches are being put to one of Europe’s favourite rock ‘n’ roll weekends with promises of continued sunshine for tens of thousands of eager music fans.

THERE were 50 babies born to girls under 16 last year, according to figures released by the Central Statistics Office.

The number of teen mothers has fallen again.

THE number of women giving Irish addresses at British abortion clinics has decreased for the eighth year in a row.

Twelve women travel to Britain every day for an abortion, latest figures revealed today.

Tips for teenagers on dealing with the pressures of underage sex went online today to help them make the right decision.

SECONDARY schools should develop a strategy for communicating with parents about relationships and sex education that occurs at school, a report has recommended.

Ireland is experiencing a baby boom with the highest number of births in more than a century, it was revealed today.

The number of women attending post-abortion medical check-ups is on the rise despite a fall in terminations, it was revealed today.

THE Crisis Pregnancy Agency is set to crackdown on rogue counselling services which manipulate women and provide a “disingenuous” service.

PARENTS have been urged not to shirk their responsibilities when it comes to sex education for their children.

More than 210 schoolgirls below the age of consent gave birth to babies last year, it emerged today.

The Oxegen music festival is getting into full swing today.

SOME women are still too ashamed to admit they are pregnant outside of a relationship and conceal the pregnancy right up to the birth in some cases.

DELAYING early teenage sexual activity forms a key part of the State’s latest strategy to reduce the number of crisis pregnancies.

THERE is incontrovertible evidence that work and career opportunities strongly influence the way women deal with crisis pregnancies, research reveals.

WOMEN faced with unplanned pregnancies worry most about their ability to continue in work and may opt for abortion on the strength of those fears.

ONLY one in three women with a crisis pregnancy have attended counselling services, it emerged yesterday.

The Crisis Pregnancy Agency has said it knows of about 200 women who have travelled to the Netherlands for abortions in the last year.

A NEW crisis pregnancy counselling service that will offer support and contraception to women of all ages was launched in west Cork yesterday.

DOCTORS have called for new laws regarding their rights to prescribe contraception to those below the age of consent.