IN THE face of an unemployment rate which is almost a third higher than the average for the rest of the country, the Government has published an employment action plan for the south-east.

THE company developing a controversial incinerator at Poolbeg in Dublin has expressed concern at plans by the Government to introduce legislation that it claims would impose unfair levies on operators of waste-to-energy plants.

THE Government wants to pay bosses to extend the hours of thousands of employees working three-day weeks.

MORE frequent flooding, warmer summers and severe storms are expected to present major challenges to Irish businesses over the coming years.

THE country’s advisory body for enterprise policy has warned the Government it should not look at the potential sale of valuable semi-state assets as simply a money-raising exercise.

A FÁS back-to-work programme cost the state almost €900,000 per person but did not result in any participant getting a job, it has emerged.

THERE is a growing recognition that the age of cheap, or in our case free, domestic water is coming to an end.

Four major towns and cities could be hit by water shortages in five years, senior government advisors warned today.

Supermarket giants must explain massive price differences for the same goods sold on either side of the border, the Government warned today.

AS THE remnants of Europe’s once great manufacturing industries struggle to remain competitive in the face of unavoidable challenges from low-cost economies we need to know that we have some prospect of sustaining employment for a significant number of people.

THE distinction between military and civilian goods has been so blurred in recent years that anything can be used as an instrument for evil, a government minister said yesterday.

NATIONAL Irish Bank (NIB) has appointed Dr Ronnie O’Toole to its newly created position of chief economist. Formerly a senior economist with Forfas, Dr O’Toole’s role at the bank will be to help NIB’s expansion plans by providing analysis and commentary on Irish and global economic trends — in particular those elements of economic performance which impact the bank’s personal and business portfolios.

IDA Ireland moved earlier this week to counter a growing belief the economy was losing out in its battle to win its share of new foreign investment.

FORFÁS, the Government’s chief adviser on industrial strategy, warns that up to 500,000 in the workforce need better skills if the economy is to continue to succeed.

WHEN will the Irish Government end the hypocrisy of promoting global peace while, at the same time, supporting companies that export over €1 billion worth of weapons-use material every year?

By Harry McGee, Political Editor

THE recent call by the Government’s think tank for the State to at least look at the nuclear option in terms of future energy needs should have sent shockwaves across the country.

The Green Party has rejected suggestions that Ireland should consider nuclear power to meet its future energy needs.

THE threat of nuclear power is looming over this country once again and it is coming, not from an unfriendly country, but from one of our own State agencies.

STUDENTS take part in the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition “mostly for the craic”.

WITH his €120,000-a-year job on the line, pressure is mounting on the Government’s chief scientific adviser to publicly explain a dubious PhD he received in America.

The Travers Report into how the Department of Health allowed nursing home fees to be levied on medical card holders is due to be published today.

SALES staff in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) looking to the export market need to improve their skills in presentation and negotiation, as well as their ability to manage accounts, according to a report published yesterday.

IRISH workers need to raise their skill levels, while our universities must deliver more high-quality graduates with knowledge that is relevant to enterprise, the government think-tank on science and technology policy said yesterday.

Ireland performed strongly during 2003 in the context of a difficult global economy, with employment levels up 44,000, according to the Forfás Annual Report for 2003.

The Minister for Trade and Commerce, Michael Ahern TD, has said a review of Ireland's export controls system for dual use and military goods is progressing.

Forfas, the Government's enterprise policy advisory body, has said that Ireland is at an economic crossroads.

ALL Government grants will be withdrawn from Compaq’s Irish operations if a Department of Enterprise inquiry confirms the firm’s Galway facility was in breach of export laws, the IDA has said.

The cost of internet access for consumers is set to fall dramatically in the New Year, following a Government decision to introduce flat rate charges.