Publication of a blueprint to overhaul the delivery of eye care services is almost a year behind schedule at a time when ophthalmology inpatient/day case waiting lists have outstripped all other specialties leading to avoidable sight loss in some patients.

Hannah Stephenson grills industry experts about the hotly-tipped new titles for 2017.

The Government has been asked to “rectify its failure” to provide blind and vision impaired voters with their constitutional right to a secret ballot.

Cork county championships latest: last year's semi-finalist out.

Cork IT 1-11 Newcestown 0-12: A Newcestown comeback fell short as Peter Kelleher and Anthony Casey led Cork IT to an opening county SFC victory at Páirc Uí Rinn yesterday.

Some of the strnger stories from around the world

Newcestown 0-16

Ex-Rehab CEO and long-time Fine Gael adviser Frank Flannery ignored calls to appear before the Dáil’s public accounts committee last Thursday because he was having lunch with a senior Government minister.

St Vincent’s Healthcare is the highest earning charity in Ireland — taking in a gross income of €363m in 2011.

Dire Straits have announced an 11-date UK tour in October.

ULSTER got their Heineken Cup campaign off to the perfect start with a five-pointer against Aironi at Ravenhill last night.

FORMER Munster wing John Lacey is to become the third man to both play in, and referee, a match in the Heineken Cup.

IT’S BEEN quite a week for the RDS, with a pair of soccer internationals and a Magners League final over a five-day period.

English referee Chris White has been appointed to referee the inaugural Magners League Grand Final between Leinster and Ospreys at The RDS next Saturday.

MAGNERS LEAGUE: English referee Chris White will take charge of the Magners League Grand Final between Leinster and Ospreys on Saturday week (6.30pm).

IRISH skipper Brian O’Driscoll has labelled the standard of officiating in the Magners League “frustrating”.

PAUL O’CONNELL will today undergo an operation in Cork to sort out the niggling groin problem that has sidelined the Munster captain since Ireland’s defeat to Scotland in the Six Nations championship on March 20.

Fluent French speaker Alain Rolland has lost out on the Heineken Cup final to Englishman Wayne Barnes.

LEADING South African referee Marius Jonker and England’s Chris White have been axed from the group of the world’s top match officials by the IRB.

Coca-Cola Championship club Crystal Palace have today gone into administration.

DAVID WALLACE is an injury concern for Munster’s Heineken Cup showdown with Northampton on Friday night.

WHEN Donncha O’Callaghan strolled over for Munster’s third try in Treviso on Saturday, it revived memories of his famous score in the defeat of Leicester at Welford Road in 2006.

GIVEN THAT the English official was central to one of the most controversial decisions in the history of the Heineken Cup, it wouldn’t be all that surprising if Munster weren’t happy at the appointment of Chris White to referee tomorrow’s clash with Treviso at the Stadio Comunale Di Monigo.

STADE FRANCAIS seized the initiative in Heineken Cup Pool Four with victory over Ulster at Stade Jean Bouin.

Jamie Heaslip will make his 100th Leinster appearance in Llanelli and is named in a strong line up which includes nine Ireland internationals.

THE Andy Robinson era got off to a solid but unspectacular start as Scotland eased to victory in their opening autumn international against Fiji.

USA 10 Ireland 27

AN uninspiring end to a glorious season for Irish rugby as Declan Kidney’s side struggled to put a makeshift USA Eagles XV to the sword at the Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara yesterday.

Leinster will be pleased to see that Nigel Owens has been chosen to be the man in the middle for the Heineken Cup final against Leicester Tigers at Murrayfield on Saturday, May 23 (kick-off 5pm).

Cardiff Blues 9 Toulouse 6

ENGLISHMAN Wayne Barnes will referee a Heineken Cup match involving Munster for the fourth time when the defending champions take on Welsh side Ospreys at Thomond Park on Easter Sunday next, April 12.

ON a cold day in Rome, Ireland turned the heat up on the RBS Six Nations title challengers and hit the top of the table on point difference from Wales, the reigning champions.

Leinster 12 Edinburgh 3

NIGEL Owens will referee Munster’s Heineken Cup clash with Sale Sharks at Thomond Park on January 16.

CLERMONT AUVERGNE lock Jamie Cudmore has received a five-week ban after being sent off in last weekend’s Heineken Cup clash against Munster at Thomond Park.

Clermont Auvergne lock Jamie Cudmore has received a five-week ban after being sent off in last weekend’s Heineken Cup clash against Munster.

MUNSTER have asked European rugby chiefs not to fix their Round Five Heineken Cup Pool One clash against Sale Sharks on a Friday night.

THIS was the perfect example of a scoreline offering a distorted picture of a game of rugby.

Munster 23 Clermont Auvergne 13

IRELAND’S George Clancy will make his Six Nations refereeing debut this season when he takes charge of the France-Scotland clash at the Stade de France on February 14.

MUNSTER continued preparations at University of Limerick yesterday for the second of their pool-defining reverse fixtures against Clermont Auvergne with head coach Tony McGahan describing the Thomond Park sell-out a ‘must-win Cup final’.

MUNSTER’S concession of aplethora of penalties against New Zealand and Clermont Auvergne has many fans wondering if the players are familiar enough with the current laws.

AUSTRALIA ended their six-match tour with a hard-fought 18-11 win over the Barbarians in the Olympic Centenary match at Wembley last night.

CLERMONT-AUVERGNE sent a clear message to Munster yesterday — they still intend to be in the mix in Pool Six with a potentially crucial away victory over French rivals Montauban.