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http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0218/sinnfein.html
Wednesday, 18 February 2009 14:42
The Sinn Féin Ard Fheis 2009 is taking place this Friday and Saturday at the RDS in Dublin. The theme is 'A Vision For Ireland's Future - Aisling do thodhchaí na hÉireann'.
You can watch Saturday's main events beginning at 11am and leader Gerry Adams' speech beginning at 5pm on RTÉ One televison and RTÉ.ie/Live.
More information about the Ard Fheis is available on their website.
Full schedule for the Ard Fehis 2009:
Friday 20 February
04.30pm - Registration
05.30pm - Opening of Ard Fheis
06.00pm - International Motions 1-6
07.00pm - Peace Process Motions 7-12
07.30pm - Equality & Human Rights Motions 13-17
08.00pm - Justice Motions 18-28
08.35pm - Culture Motions 29-32
08.45pm - Party Development, Constitution & Rules Motions 33-87
Saturday 21 February
10.00am - Childcare & Housing Motions 88-94
11.00am - EU Affairs, Unity, An Gaeilge, Economy Motions 95-101
01.00pm - Lunch
01.30pm - Economy Continued - Including Guest Speaker John Douglas of Mandate Motions 102-123
02.30pm - Agriculture & Fisheries Motions 124-129
02.45pm - Infrastructure, Transport & Regional Development Motions 130-139
03.20pm - Local Government, Planning and Environment Motions 140-164
04.00pm - Education Motions 165-178
04.20pm - Health & Children Motions 179-198
05.00pm - Gerry Adams Presidential Address
06.00pm - Close of Ard Fheis
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0218/breaking36.htm
Wed, Feb 18, 2009
Irish mortgage lending dropped 57 per cent in the fourth quarter as falling house prices and stricter lending rules deterred buyers.
The value of lending fell to €3.54 billion ($4.46 billion) in the three months through December from €8.28 billion a year earlier, the Dublin-based Irish Banking Federation said in a report today. The volume of home loans dropped 50 per cent, it said.
Irish mortgage lending grew at the slowest pace since at least 1986 in December as the country’s economy sank deeper into a recession.
Banks are tightening lending criteria in response to the global financial crisis, the Irish central bank said in a February 6th report. House prices slipped 9.1 per cent last year, according to Irish Life & Permanent, the country’s biggest mortgage lender.
“The recorded slowdown in mortgage-market activity reflects the overall economic environment and the very challenging situation that prevails,” Irish Banking Federation chief executive officer Pat Farrell said in the report.
The total value of mortgage lending in 2008 was €23 billion, down 32 per cent from 2007.
Bloomberg
© 2009 irishtimes.com
By Noel McAdam
Wednesday, 18 February 2009
Environment Minister Sammy Wilson is to face the Stormont watchdog that passed a vote calling for his resignation, it emerged today.
Despite its loss of confidence, the environment scrutiny committee has agreed to meet Mr Wilson next week “on a range of issues”.
And the group is also launching a formal inquiry into climate change, to which the Minister will be invited to give evidence.
Mr Wilson, who has not responded to or acknowledged the multi-party committee’s vote of no confidence following his controversial decision to block a government television advert on climate change, was not available when contacted for comment today.
But a spokesman for his Department said the Minister had arranged to attend the |committee following last week’s vote — the first time a Stormont monitoring committee has voted no confidence in it’s Minister.
Committee chairman Patsy McGlone said: “The fact is we need to hear from the Minister on a whole range of issues, apart from how he is handling climate change, including the whole reform of local government, which is also his responsibility.
“It is not so much that the Minister has treated the committee’s vote with contempt, it is the fact that he has treated the consensus of international scientific opinion on climate change with contempt.”
Mr McGlone, whose SDLP colleague Tommy Gallagher initiated the ‘no confidence’ move which was backed by six votes to four with support from Ulster Unionists and Sinn Fein, said the committee also intended next month to hold an official investigation into climate change, to which experts would be summoned.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0218/breaking10.htm
IRISH TIMES REPORTERS
Wed, Feb 18, 2009
The Irish Coast Guard is today continuing to monitor a serious oil pollution incident off the south coast.
Latest reports say the oil slick off the Old Head of Kinsale covers an estimated 40 sq km of the Celtic Sea and could hit the Irish or British coastline within 16 days.
An estimate from British authorities last night was that some 522 tonnes of oil in the Celtic Sea was drifting in three separate slicks.
It was heading towards the south-east Irish coast, but could end up on the British coast, depending on wind and weather, within the next fortnight.
A 46,000 tonne Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov , the flagship of the Russian Navy, was refuelling in the area at the time of the incident.
A spill was picked up by the European Maritime Safety Agency’s (EMSA) CleanSeaNet satellite monitoring system on Saturday.
Initially, the spill was believed to be small, but new images yesterday from both satellite and overflights taken some 40 miles south of the Old Head of Kinsale suggested that it was far larger than originally estimated.
The Russian Federation says it is carrying out an investigation into a serious oil pollution incident
© 2009 irishtimes.com
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0218/breaking28.htm
Wed, Feb 18, 2009
Five Irish people are among 65 passengers on a US cruise ship which has become trapped in ice in the Antarctic.
The MV Ocean Novaran aground near an Argentine base on Antarctica at around 3am (GMT) yesterday.
The Argentine Navy has flown a plane over the site and confirmed there was no loss of fuel or electricity.
A statement on the navy’s website said there were “no risks” for the 65 passengers, including five Irish tourists, and 41 crew aboard.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said it had been contacted by the Irish embassy in Argentina in relation to the incident. The embassy in Buenos Aires said it is monitoring the situation but so far it had not been contacted by any of the Irish nationals involved.
Quark Expeditions, which operates the Ocean Nova, said the captain was planning to dislodge the vessel at high tide. As a contingency, other ships were sent to the area to aid a possible rescue.
In a statement, the US company, which is based in Connecticut, said: “All guests, staff, crew and officers remain safe. An initial assessment of damage indicated that there was no imminent danger and no threat to lives.
“As a precaution Captain Per Gravesen issued a distress signal, which was recognised by the Argentine emergency services.
“The situation remains stable and passengers are enjoying the regularly scheduled lecture program.”
The Ocean Novawas built in 1992 to sail in icy waters around Greenland. Its ice-strengthened hull was “excellent” for polar expeditions, Quark said.
© 2009 irishtimes.com