A MOTHER-OF-TWO with a debilitating illness moved out of a Limerick suburb to the countryside because the air quality would be better for her health.

Defensive walls, river channel widening and deepening, new bridges and culverts will form part of a €12m project planned for flood defences in two Cork suburbs.

Cork County Council officials have disclosed they are still intent on developing a 5,000-house town at Monard near Blarney.

Ireland's international business reputation has been damaged by delays to the Apple data centre in Athenry, according to IBEC.

Apple has been given the go-ahead to begin work on its planned €850m data centre in Athenry, Co Galway.

Planning authorities are to rule today on whether the country’s first commercial toxic waste incinerator can be built near Cork harbour.

EXECUTIVES at multinational energy company Shell believe the Irish state could be in possession of massive gas resources off the west coast, “up to 20 times” the scale of the already discovered Corrib field.

PLANS to allow thousands of one-off houses to be built in the countryside will lead to major water pollution unless millions of euro are pumped into new schemes, An Taisce warned yesterday.

A number of local residents have lost their legal challenge over the approval of permission for a windfarm development in Co Cork.

Tesco Ireland has temporarily put the brakes on German discounter Aldi’s Irish expansion plans.

A High Court date has been set for a challenge by environmental lobby group CHASE to An Bord Pleanála's decision to grant planning permission for an incinerator in Cork Harbour.

A number of legal challenges aimed at quashing consents for the construction of sections of Corrib gas onshore pipeline have been settled.

Ulster Bank approached Seán Dunne about financing the purchase of the Jurys /Ballsbridge site in Dublin in Jul 2005, the Irish Examiner has learned.

Building a smaller national children’s hospital on the Mater site in Dublin is a “distinct possibility”, Health Minister James Reilly has said.

THE notion of total immersion in the Irish language is being taken to new lengths by a Gaelscoil which will move to a former swimming pool next year.

PLANNING is expected to be granted today for three bridges over the River Lee to help kick-start one of the state’s most ambitious regeneration projects.

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen has predicted Tipperary is set for a “major jobs boost” after an 11,000 square metre shopping centre was opened in the county, potentially creating 500 new positions.

SAVINGS of up to an hour on car journeys between Dublin and other cities within five years and a dedicated route from Letterkenny to Waterford are among the main roads projects of the Transport 21 plan.

RESTRICTIONS on one-off housing in rural areas are set to become the biggest issue in next year’s local elections unless the Government follows through on its plans to reform planning legislation, the Irish Rural Dwellers Association (IRDA) has warned.