An Irish counselling service for abuse victims has reported a 22% increase in the number of people making contact.

A former Siptu official has blamed garda inquiries for his refusal to co-operate with a Dáil committee investigation into a ‘slush’ fund he managed.

Nearly half of all abuse reported by callers to a specialist telephone service occurred within the family home, new figures show.

One in five calls to a counselling helpline for adult survivors of childhood abuse are going unanswered because of staff shortages.

Siptu was unaware of the existence of a “slush fund” operated by one of its senior staff because its name was “misleading”.

The former administrator of the so-called Siptu slush fund has said he cannot appear at a public inquiry into its spending until a fraud investigation is completed.

The Comptroller and Auditor General will today submit a report to the Houses of the Oireachtas on his investigation into a controversial fund controlled by a number of Siptu officials.

Raheny United 2 Peamount United 1

Raheny United 2 Peamount United 1

The number of calls made to the country’s telephone counselling service soared by 22% last year to 10,384, but 28% of calls went unanswered.

THE country’s largest trade union, SIPTU, has been accused of withholding information from a major HSE inquiry.

OVER years when health services were creaking, a fund controlled by a SIPTU official funded lavish overseas junkets for senior trade union officials and public servants, the Dáil public spending watchdog heard yesterday.

RED-HOT favourites Portlaoise had to wait until the second-half beforebeing able to impose their authority on a gallant Rathnew side in this quarter-final clash at O’Moore Park yesterday.

SIPTU has decided to demote its senior official who was a signatory to the account at the centre of the controversial HSE SKILL training fund.

A BARRISTER is to be hired by SIPTU to investigate its employment relationship with one of the signatories of a controversial account used to fund 31 foreign trips and to channel money to unions.

AFTER months of waiting, SIPTU has finally received access to an accountancy report on the account at the centre of the controversial HSE SKILL training fund.

SIPTU wants to publish a report within the next three weeks on the controversial SIPTU National Health and Local Authority Levy Fund into which the state and private sources placed almost €4.5 million between 2001-2010, but which the union has repeatedly insisted it knew nothing about.

ENDING a barren 29-year spell in the Wexford SFC and dislodging local rivals Kilanerin in the final generated plenty of joy for the footballers of Castletown last month. But it is the prospect of competing on the provincial and national stages that provided the greatest incentive for the club.

Racing got underway at Carlisle today despite heavy rain throughout the morning and the going changing to an official description of soft, heavy in places.

TULLAMORE, a splendid midlands course originally designed by James Braid and subsequently upgraded by Patrick Merrigan, is the venue for the finals of the Bulmers Irish Cups and Shields from September 16-19.

A CLARE barman and father of two has been killed just days after his dream wedding in Thailand.

Connacht have been boosted by the return from injury of utility back Daniel Riordan and hooker Joe Merrigan in a 24-man squad for their opening European Challenge Cup game away to Dax at the Stade Maurice Boyau on Friday.

AT least 1,200 members of the ambulance service across the country will begin nationwide strike action on April 7.

MORE than 1,200 ambulance personnel are to be balloted for strike action within the next 10 days over the HSE’s decision to use private ambulance services.

Leading conditional jockey Paddy Merrigan has “effectively left” Peter Bowen’s yard in Pembrokeshire, England.

A dream weekend for Sam Thomas hit new heights as Mr Pointment made virtually all to score over the famous Grand National fences in the totesport.com Becher Chase at Aintree.

SIPTU has warned that the risk to patients posed by cutbacks in the health service will continue next year because of further budget shortfalls.

DOZENS of firefighters racing to save lives and quench fires across the country are being landed with penalty points, it was claimed yesterday.

Connections were full of praise for jockey Paddy Merrigan after watching him bring Heraldry home in front in the Trust & Deal Locally at Benfield Ford Novices’ Hurdle at Wetherby.

European Challenge Cup Quarter-Finals teamsheets

Munster 36 Connacht 17

IT’S an indicator of how fast Robert Kearney’s career is progressing that the Leinster back was disappointed not to be involved in Ireland’s Autumn internationals last month.

Ospreys 18 Connacht 17

Paddy Merrigan is making a name for himself as a rider of some potential and to prove the point he booted home his first double on The Pen and Model Son at Wetherby.

Connacht coach Michael Bradley has made eight changes for Friday’s clash with the Ospreys at the Regional Rugby Stadium (7.10pm).

Ulster 36 Connacht 10

STRABANE handler Barry Potts struck the first blow of the week for Tyrone when Dream Castle defied top weight in the Bank Of Ireland Handicap Hurdle at Listowel yesterday.

STEPHEN BROWNE became the 21st Irishman in the Nissan Irish Open field after a late call up last night.

THE nine members of a local council will decide next Tuesday whether to re-zone a site, allowing a hotel and housing development to proceed.

The Government must stick to its pledge to set up a National Fire Authority, union leaders insisted today.

A Dublin man was sentenced to five years imprisonment today for the unlawful killing of his partner during a drunken row in a flat in Rathfarnham last year.

A 34-year-old man who stabbed his lover six times in the face and neck with a screwdriver was last night found guilty of manslaughter.

A man who was stabbed six times in the face and neck with a screwdriver died from inhalation of blood and bleeding to the brain, a murder trial jury heard today.

PART-time firefighters are voting overwhelmingly for a national strike.