LATEST:A Government TD has broken ranks to call on Health Minister Simon Harris to consider buying the €300m land on which the new National Maternity Hospital will be built in a bid to end the escalating scandal.

Lawyers fighting the extradition of an Irishman who is alleged to be the "largest facilitator of child porn in the world" have told the High Court they are seeking the DPP’s reasons for refusing to prosecute him.

Tánaiste Joan Burton says she is “nervous” about the possibility of a low turnout in next Friday’s marriage referendum — and how this might affect the yes vote.

Irish Catholic bishops have come out against confidentiality agreements in cases where a priest has fathered a child, according to correspondence between it and newly formed organisation Coping International.

An organisation founded to help the partners and children of Catholic priests has had almost 3,000 hits on its website since it was launched last month.

The number of liquid nicotine poisoning cases has jumped in the last year with the soaring popularity of electronic cigarettes.

A leading psychiatrist has said the exact circumstances surrounding the murder-suicide of twins Paddy and Thomas O’Driscoll and their brother Jonathan needed to come to light before the stunned local community of Charleville could come to terms with what had happened.

A consultant psychiatrist and expert on suicide has spoke of the necessity for the friends and classmates of murdered twins Thomas and Paddy O’Driscoll to be told the truth of what happened to them in an age-appropriate way.

IT’S SUMMER, and while gardens, parks and meadows throughout the land have burst into blossom, nowhere will boast brighter colours or dreamier scents than the RDS, which transforms into a floral paradise next week.

WHEN did Barack Obama cease to be homophobic? Is Enda Kenny redeemed from his homophobia? If some of the hoopla of recent days is to be taken seriously, then anybody who doesn’t favour same sex marriage can be described as homophobic.

RELAXING into the ritual of a soft-boiled egg on Sunday morning I was astonished, actually envious, to read in several newspapers that RTÉ paid out €85,000 to named people ostensibly libelled when called homophobic by Rory O’Neill aka the drag-artist Panti Bliss on the Saturday Night Show.

The case of 25-year-old Samantha Azzopardi demands compassion rather than condemnation, writes Noel Baker

A new report shows a 500% increase in the number of divorces and separations in the past 25 years.

One of the country’s leading psychiatrists said the Mater Hospital has a “zero tolerance” approach when it comes to illicit drug use at its psychiatric wing — staff immediately kick the offender out.

Ireland’s abortion regime will continue to be restrictive despite allowing for terminations when a woman is suicidal, a junior minister has said.

Ireland’s abortion regime will continue to be restrictive despite allowing for terminations when a woman is suicidal, Junior Health Minister Alex White has said.

Doctors on both sides of the abortion debate yesterday united to condemn proposals that suicidal women be assessed by a six-consultant panel before being granted permission to terminate a pregnancy.

A woman accused of murdering her husband by stabbing him to death had a background of schizoaffective disorder, the Central Criminal Court has heard.

Those who want legislation based on the X case often suggest that, in the difficult situation where a pregnant mother expresses suicidal thoughts, there are two options.

Two of the country’s top psychiatrists have clashed over the potential impact of legislation allowing abortion on the grounds of suicidal risk.

They claim to remove tough stains and dispense with the mess of washing powder, but who would have thought children would find liquitabs good enough to eat?

I have attended MacGill Summer School for 30 years.

In her recent article, Martin needs to offer hope and solutions (Jul 27), Patricia Casey — commenting on his recent MacGill Summer School address — criticises the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, claiming he “seems to find it very hard to talk about the Catholic Church in an upbeat way”.

The son of former Labour MEP Proinsias de Rossa has today been found not guilty of an assault on his father, by reason of insanity.

Almost half of Irish people believe that a fifth of priests are guilty of child abuse, a survey has revealed.

DAVY RUSSELL consolidated his position as the jumps season’s leading rider with a double on My Murphy and Best Served Cold in very testing conditions in Wexford yesterday, bringing his seasonal tally to 52.

ALMOST half of Irish people believe that a fifth of priests are guilty of child abuse, a survey has revealed.

AN IRISH psychiatrist has disputed four-year research emerging from the US which claims addiction is a chronic brain disorder.

JOSTLING for ministerial positions in the new government has begun with Fine Gael’s Andrew Doyle making his pitch for the agriculture portfolio.

A DOCTOR is facing a series of charges of professional misconduct after altering medical records of an asylum seeker who took his own life while a patient at the Mater Hospital in Dublin.

THE majority of men under the age of 25 are embarrassed to discuss depression, according to the latest study on the condition.

A Dublin man who broke into his neighbour’s home and attacked the family living there with a knife has been found not guilty by reason of insanity at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

FAITH is becoming increasingly important to people as the economic crisis deepens, the organiser of a spiritual conference in Co Kerry has said.

PEOPLE who pray and go to Church are happier and healthier than people not practising religion, a report by a leading psychiatrist has claimed.

A PSYCHIATRIST has said that questions need to be asked about why mood altering and anti-depressant drugs are found in the blood of 40% of the country’s sudden deaths.

LAST year 589 hospital workers outside Dublin were attacked in the course of their work. A mere 14 of those cases were reported to the gardaí, and eight of those resulted in convictions.

A former City of London policeman has been found not guilty by reason of insanity on all charges arising out of his bus rampage which led to the death of 62-year-old Ms Maire Buckley two years ago.

TRIBUTES were paid to the life’s work of renowned psychiatrist and broadcaster Anthony Clare, who died suddenly over the weekend.

The increasing rate of marriage break-up in Ireland is due to be highlighted at a conference in Dublin today.

PEOPLE fear depression more than cancer when they think about the disruption the illness would cause in their lives.

IRELAND is a Third World country in terms of its psychiatric services, a leading psychiatrist has claimed.