FISHERIES Minister Sean Connick has denied Ireland ignores the scientific evidence in favour of increasing fish stocks available to the Irish fleet.

NORWAY has agreed to catch fewer fish in Irish waters, but mackerel stocks are under threat due to Iceland’s decision to walk away from talks with the EU.

IRELAND has made some progress in seeking to restrict Irish fish quotas being transferred under this year’s EU-Norway fisheries agreement.

COILLTE has officially opened enhanced forest recreational facilities at Belleek Wood, Ballina, Co Mayo.

OLD fishing nets are to be recycled to create an eco-friendly underwater protection barrier for New Ross Marina, Co Wexford.

IRELAND and Scotland have insisted that the EU stops using their fish quotas in swap deals with Norway, and instead introduce a communal EU fish pool for future trading.

QUOTAS for the country’s most valuable fish, mackerel, could be facing cuts next year instead of being increased because of the actions of Iceland and the Faroe islands.

EARMARKED recipients for €1.75 million in capital grants for seafood processing and aquaculture projects have said that being given six weeks in which to order, purchase and install new equipment is too tight a timeframe.

Church bells rang out in a quiet Wexford village today to mark the 70th anniversary of a deadly German bomb attack.

THE Government has been accused by Fine Gael of sending mixed messages on forestry.

A THREE-year strategy to create 600 jobs and an additional €50 million in value added sales was launched for the Irish seafood industry yesterday.

THE historic role of the Royal Dublin Society in developing Irish forestry was highlighted at Donadea Forest Park, Kilcock, Co Kildare, when details of this year’s national forestry awards were announced.

MINISTERS of State Sean Connick and Ciarán Cuffe have assumed a suite of new statutory powers and duties within the Department of Agriculture.

FEARS have arisen that forestry thinnings will be redirected from Coillte timber processing plants to biomass-powered electricity generating stations because of incentives in that sector.

A PROGRAMME of financial support to assist fishermen upgrade critical life-saving, fire-fighting, and other safety equipment on board their fishing boats was launched in Wexford yesterday.

The families of two men feared drowned when they vanished while fishing were tonight anxiously waiting for news on their loved ones.

THE recent damage to forests from land fires could reduce the raw material available for timber processors in local areas, according to Minister of State Seán Connick.

GRANT aid totalling€3 million for selected research projects in the forestry sector was announced yesterday by Minister of State Sean Connick.

AGRICULTURE Minister Brendan Smith has expressed support for farmers whose contracts have been terminated by Greencore Malt.

CARBON tax could cost rural households ten times more than it costs urban households, says Irish Rural Link, which represents rural community groups.

AN internal analysis by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of the direct impact of the carbon levy on the agriculture sector suggests the average increase in the cost of production across all farms will be some €230 per farm.

THE organiser behind the latest community protest against head shops said if people didn’t march on the stores now they could be marching behind the coffin of a victim some day.

FINANCE Minister Brian Lenihan will announce his intention to stay on in office for the time being when he makes his first public statement since it was reported that he has been diagnosed with cancer.

An Australian variety show host apologised to Harry Connick Jr after a skit that parodied the Jackson Five.

FIANNA FÁIL members should not ignore the houses of “blueshirts” or “provos” when canvassing for votes, Junior Minister Brendan Smith told delegates.

The suffering of New Orleans, long a culturally rich city, is being felt across the entertainment world.

Singer and actor Harry Connick Jnr has made a deal to star in and produce a musical film for 20th Century Fox for which he will also contribute original music.