Politics & Politicians

• For more than a week now different sections of the media have been telling us that a report from the Moriarty Tribunal is imminent. This will focus on former Taoiseach Charles Haughey's dealings with businessmen. Some journalists suggest that the late Mr Haughey will be severely criticised, while others suggest that the report will largely absolve him of serious impropriety.
• Last Sunday Taoiseach Bertie Ahern urged Sinn Féin to call an ardfheis as soon as possible to obtain the grass roots approval necessary for the party to support the PSNI. Such support is one of the DUP's prerequisites for a power-sharing executive. Another area of contention between the DUP and Sinn Féin is the devolution of responsibility for justice and policing. A transition date is a prerequisite for Sinn Féin while the DUP wants responsibility to remain at Westminster, lest Sinn Féin ever have any direct influence over policing. A suggested compromise of reserving this portfolio for either the SDLP or the UUP has now been rejected out of hand by Sinn Féin Justice spokesman Gerry Kelly.
• MEP Marian Harkin announced on Monday that she will not seek re-election to the Dáil in next year's general election. Currently Ms Harkin represents the Sligo-Leitrim constituency as an Independent but says she believes she can be more effective by focusing on her role as MEP for the North and West constituency.
• The Labour Party has confirmed that Nicky Kelly will join outgoing TD Liz McManus as a Dáil candidate in the Wicklow constituency. Less than a month ago Mr Kelly was fined €730 for careless driving (he caused a collision by ignoring a stop sign), and for driving without insurance or motor tax. He also has a drink-driving conviction.
• As was widely predicted, Seán Haughey was appointed Minister of State for Education in succession to Síle de Valera who stood down on Friday. The son of former Taoiseach the late Charles Haughey, the 45-year-old career politician has represented Dublin North Central since 1992. Prior to that he spent five years in the Seanad.

EU News

• The country's fishermen are angry at the latest cuts in quotas proposed by the European Fisheries Commission. In what is claimed to be a conservation measure, the plan is for further reductions in the catch of herring, cod, plaice and whiting. At the same time the commission reports success in earlier conservation measures and is willing to allow increased quotas for hake, monkfish and mackerel.
  

Politics & Politicians

• Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak arrived in Ireland on Wednesday at the start of a two-day official visit. During his stay he met President Mary McAleese, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. This was the first time that a president of Egypt visited Ireland. Mr Mubarak's wife Suzanne accompanied him and visited St Michael's House in Ballymun, which caters for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
• Galway West Fine Gael TD Pádraig McCormack, who announced at the party's convention that he would not be seeking re-election, has reversed his decision following the withdrawal of local Fine Gael councillor Brian Walsh. Councillor Walsh recently announced his withdrawal from the general election contest, citing personal reasons for his decision.
• Clare TD Síle de Valera resigned her position as Minister of State at the Department of Education on Friday, just as she said she would a year ago, when she announced that she would not be contesting the next general election. Ms de Valera first entered the Dáil in 1977 at the age of 22, representing a Dublin constituency. From 1997 until 2002 she was Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht & the Islands but this role was given to her cousin Éamon Ó Cuív after the 2002 election. The granddaughter of Éamon de Valera now plans to write her memoirs and to undertake a PhD in Psychology. Her successor as Minister of State is expected to be named this week; Seán Haughey is the favourite.
• Plans by the US Congress to award the Congressional Medal of Honour to former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher have been thwarted by a group of Irish-American politicians. The opposition is led by Barney Frank, a Democratic congressman representing Massachusetts, who is supported by a number of congressmen from Irish-dominated districts including Joe Crowley of New York. Mr Frank sits on the Financial Services Committee, which has the final say on recipients of the medal.
• The action of Mayor of Tralee Norma Foley, in using Oireachtas freepost envelopes to send Christmas cards, is to be investigated by Fianna Fáil headquarters. Ms Foley used envelopes still held by her father, Denis Foley, following his retirement four years ago and maintained that the cards were from her parents as well as herself and her husband.