CUSTOMS officials have already seized 53 firearms and offensive weapons this year, including 17 weapons in the mail.

THERE were signs of hope last night that the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) was close to brokering a formula to get both sides in the postal dispute to negotiate an end to hostilities.

Union leaders representing workers at An Post have met to discuss the stalemate in the postal dispute.

The national executive of the Communications Workers Union is meeting in Dublin this afternoon to discuss the next step in its dispute with An Post.

Both sides involved in an escalating postal dispute in the were urged to compromise today as crisis talks reached deadlock.

A ROW between An Post and its workers "will bring the national postal service to its knees", a union leader warned last night.

The Government today began an investigation into how up to 1.5 million Christmas cards and other items were delivered late this week.