One of the country’s largest trade unions has called on the Government to abandon its plans to sell off the harvesting rights of trees owned by Coillte.

A well-known public house on the Cork-Kerry border, destroyed by fire last May, is to rise from the ashes.

Fire has destroyed the highest pub in Ireland, The Top of Coom, which is perched over the 1,000ft mark on the Kerry-Cork border.

IMPACT union firefighters have sought to cool plans for all-out national strike at the start of May, insisting such a move could jeopardise ongoing talks between unions and Government.

THE Department of Education has been accused of telling schools to cut pay and hours for secretaries and caretakers to fund shortfalls in money for books, buildings and other school necessities.

SCHOOL secretaries have staged the first in a series of one-day stoppages in protest at their low level of pay which sees some earning less than the minimum wage.

SCHOOL secretaries being paid as little as €6 per hour could begin strike protests before the end of the current school term.

A NUMBER of school secretaries across the country are earning less than the minimum wage — as low as €6 per hour, it was claimed yesterday.

TWO of the most high-profile TDs in the Dáil made surprise announcements last night that they will not be contesting next summer’s General Election.