IN less than two weeks, dad Ger O’Flynn will be the father of twins.

DEVELOPERS of supports for travel, games, education and hotel bookings are among 15 new firms awarded funding under Enterprise Ireland’s Competitive Start Fund for software start-ups.

The Mandate trade union has been meeting with Superquinn’s senior management team since 8am this morning.

IN downgrading Ireland’s debt to junk status, Moody’s cites, “... the continued weakness in the Irish economy”.

The Government has decided not to appeal last week's High Court ruling which struck down the laws surrounding certain wage agreements.

Minister for Enterprise Richard Bruton said today that he is confident Labour will support his proposals to change wage agreements.

A protest will take place outside the Dáil later against controversial plans to reform wage-setting mechanisms in the hotel, catering and cleaning sectors.

Forty new jobs are to be created at Aruba Networks in Cork today.

Minister for Enterprise Richard Bruton has denied that comments made by the Taoiseach in relation to possible changes to wage agreements were a "slap on the wrist".

The union representing workers at Superquinn is calling for an urgent meeting with the Minister for Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation as fears grow that jobs at the company could be at risk.

The decision to exclude customers in arrears from new price plans announced today by the ESB has been criticised.

Hundreds of jobs could be created in a new call centre for online role-playing games in Galway, it was announced today.

THE Irish Congress of Trade Unions has called on the Minister for Enterprise to withdraw what it says is a “potentially unlawful” Government advertisement on the changes to the minimum wage.

Minister for Enterprise Batt O'Keeffe has said it is too early to say whether a referendum to abolish the Seanad will take place on the same date as the General Election.

HOLLYWOOD great Maureen O’Hara has spoken of her dream of finding and developing young Irish stars of the screen at a new drama centre which is to be built in her honour in her adopted west Cork home village.

Fifty new jobs have been announced for Dublin, at a financial-services software company.

YOUR Country Your Call, the competition backed by President Mary McAleese to find two ideas to help spark economic recovery, is being investigated for compliance with political funding and ethics legalisation.

THE country’s leading tax body has called for the introduction of a new plan to encourage more people to set up in business.

I WAS aghast to read so much anti-Fine Gael rhetoric in recent times about possible further EU scrutiny of the Irish budgetary process and taxation policies.

ALLOWING rape victims to terminate their pregnancies could lead to “abortion on demand” according to controversial Fine Gael TD, Leo Varadkar.

AN Irish company has been launched offering breakthrough food additives to help tackle the colony collapse disorder crisis facing the global bee population.

CORK County Council is to invest €200,000 in the new Cork-Swansea ferry, the MV Julia, which is set to sail on March 1 next.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise Mary Coughlan has launched a €26m equity fund to invest in start-up and early-stage companies.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise Mary Coughlan has announced an investment of almost €5m in a new Science Foundation Ireland research project.

FÁS chairman Peter McLoone is expected to resign today in the wake of the controversy surrounding wasteful spending at the state training agency.

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise has insisted that she is focused on continuing in her job despite growing calls for her to be removed from the position.

Green Party leader John Gormley has said the board of FÁS should resign over the revelations of serious financial irregularities at the state training agency.

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise Mary Coughlan has said work is already underway to address serious deficiencies in financial controls at FÁS.

A US medical device manufacturer company plans to invest €21.7 million in research and development at its Cork plant.

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise Mary Coughlan said today there is a "good flow" of investment into Ireland despite the challenging economic climate.

THE taskforce appointed by the Government in the wake of the Dell pullout announcement in Limerick has recommended that Limerick city and county councils should be amalgamated into one greater Limerick authority.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise has called on both sides in the electricians' dispute to resolve their differences.

THE Government has done nothing to clean up Fás according to the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) which claimed its recommendations on improving accountability at the state training agency have been completely ignored.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise has announced a range of new FAS courses aimed at retraining construction workers.

Mayo is getting a major jobs boost today with the announcement that 180 jobs are to be created in Claremorris.

TÁNAISTE Mary Coughlan flew to the Saudi Arabian desert yesterday leaving a storm of controversy over her ability to manage the Department of Enterprise.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise has announced stricter rules for work permit applications in response to growing unemployment in Ireland.

MINISTERS were last night accused of preparing to cave-in over bailed-out bank chief Michael Fingleton’s controversial e1 million bonus.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Mary Coughlan, is due to meet SR Technics management this morning as the deadline looms to save more than 1,100 jobs at the aircraft maintenance firm.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise has said the failure of retail outlets to bring down their prices remains a major cause of concern.

An advisory group is recommending amendments to the Competition Act in relation to the merging of media organisations in Ireland.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise has defended the Government's handling of the economic downturn and its much-criticised plan for addressing the situation.

Quinn Insurance is expected to announce a major jobs boost this week with up to 350 new positions being created at the company's office complex in Little Island, Cork.

Fine Gael is calling on the Government to clarify whether Dell is keeping its Limerick manufacturing plant.