Hospitals are paying agencies €100 an hour for locums to plug the gaps in emergency departments (EDs) when the shortfall could be substantially addressed by creating a new grade of staff doctor.

PAYMENTS of €48,000 to councillors for attending three conferences were in accordance with departmental rates and agreed with the Environment Minister, a county manager has stated.

PATIENTS could lose their lives unless steps are taken to ease the beds crisis which has left 569 people on trolleys, it was claimed last night.

THEY say you can take a white horse anywhere, but it seems Midleton horse trainer Dan Rohan can take his bay mare anywhere and win.

ONE of the high points of the Irish sport horse breeding year again attracted big interest at Limerick Show.

SEVERELY-depressed and suicidal children are spending days on hospital trolleys in A&E wards.

AS violence in Ireland’s hospitals worsens medical consultants are insisting the Health Service Executive (HSE) improve security arrangements in all hospitals.

Most of the country's health boards have yet to appoint case officers to deal with the 20,000 elderly people believed to be victims of abuse, writes Pat Brosnan.

A mentally ill man who killed his uncle because he believed he was possessed by the devil was found guilty but insane at the Central Criminal Court today.

A 51-year-old Clare man has pleaded guilty but insane at the Central Criminal Court to the murder of his 82-year-old uncle.

The four-year-old boy, who died after falling into a canal in county Clare yesterday has been named