Diabetic children living in the South will no longer have to travel to Dublin for specialised treatment after the HSE South sanctioned the appointment of a diabetes nurse specialist at Cork University Hospital.

THE blame game is under way between Labour and Fine Gael over who is responsible for the deeply unpopular cuts to disability allowances which have now been put on hold.

RETAILERS don’t expect the economy to grow again until the second quarter of 2011, according to an ADM Londis survey.

A survey of retailers has confirmed the need for special offers and own-brand products to entice more shoppers to spend.

THE Londis store chain is set to close around 5% of its Irish shop network this year in response to the continuing challenging trading conditions in the market.

ADM Londis plc, one of the leading retailers in the country, has reported a 20% jump in pre-tax profits to €6.1m as a result of more store openings in 2007.

ADM Londis, which yesterday reported a 20% increase in pre-tax profits to €6.1 million, will open 40 new stores this year.

RETAILER-owned ADM Londis has teamed up with Texoil, Chevron Ireland’s largest Texaco branded oil distributor in Ireland, to run 10 forecourt shops.

ADM Londis plc achieved a 12% increase in profit before tax to €5.1m in 2006, it was revealed today.

A €6 million investment is to be pumped into building ADM Londis’s new 20,000 sq ft headquarters in Johnstown in Naas it was announced yesterday.

Over 350 delegates from Londis stores throughout the country, who attended the independent retailers annual conference, heard that despite the recent abolition of the Groceries Order, the convenience market is performing strongly.

CONVENIENCE retailer Londis’ 2006 financial year got off to a buoyant start following a 62% growth in company profits last year.

Londis retailers today announced a 62% growth in company profits in 2005.

CONVENIENCE retailer ADM Londis saw profits rise by nearly two-thirds last year on the back of shop openings.

RETAIL group ADM Londis has called on Enterprise Minister Micheál Martin to keep the Groceries Order in place.

ADM Londis which has reported a 7% hike in pre-tax profits for 2004 has called on Government to retain the ban on below-cost selling.

ADM Londis today announced that it is well ahead of targets in terms of store openings for the year 2004, with 15 more planned before the end of the year.

IFI WORKERS are set to take the Government and ICI to the Labour Relations Court in an attempt to increase their redundancy packages.

ANGRY former IFI workers have vowed to blockade any ships trying to remove 26,000 tonnes of ammonia stockpiled at the Marino Point plant in Cobh, Co Cork.

THE Health and Safety Authority is to carry out an investigation into allegations that skeletal staffing at the IFI plant in Co Cork is posing a serious risk of major accidents.

THE Taoiseach was heckled by more than 300 angry IFI workers, seeking an improved redundancy package, when he arrived in Cork last night.

Around 350 Irish Fertiliser Industries workers have mounted a demonstration outside the Tanaiste's office in Dublin to protest at their treatment since the Government put the company into liquidation.

IT IS ironic that the Government, which is urging a Yes vote for the Nice Treaty to protect jobs and our future, cannot protect the jobs in a company in which it is the major shareholder.

BETRAYAL — that was the word workers used to describe yesterday’s 620 job losses at Irish Fertilizer Industries.

THE Government’s decision to close Irish Fertiliser Industries with the loss of 620 jobs last night sparked a furious row over whether the firm could have been saved.

THE Government has defended its decision not to bail out Irish Fertiliser Industries, arguing that it was not commercially viable to do so.

CUTS of €32m are needed to secure the future of Irish Fertiliser Industry, according to a preliminary report presented to Tánaiste Mary Harney yesterday.

WORKERS at Irish Fertiliser Industries were thrown a lifeline last night when the Government promised to back any viable new business plan.

Health Minister and Cork TD Micheal Martin is due to raise the crisis at the semi-state Irish Fertiliser Industries when the Cabinet meets in Dublin today.

THE Board of Irish Fertiliser Industries and shareholders are to discuss the possible closure of the Co Cork plant

WORKERS and union officials from the troubled Irish Fertiliser Industries (IFI) plant in Cork harbour last night demanded that the Government take action to prevent the loss of 200 jobs.

A HUGE campaign to safeguard the future of the 200-job Irish Fertiliser Industries plant in Cork harbour is underway.