Snowbound

THE freezing weather that continued to cause transport chaos over the weekend looks likely to do so for another week at least.

Transport Minister Noel Dempsey returned from his controversial holiday yesterday, insisting he was right to have taken one just as the country was facing into the major weather emergency. While the thaw in the snow around Leinster caused its own trouble with sludgy roads yesterday, the snow hit the south of the country for the first time.

Dozens of flights in and out of Cork Airport were cancelled for several hours from late yesterday afternoon due to heavy snowfall. In Cork city and county, army patrol vehicles were deployed yesterday evening to bring gardaí and other emergency services around because of the hazardous road conditions.