Child abuse cases most stressful, say gardaí; Online child abusers more sophisticated in hiding crimes; Need for lawful abortions in some cases; Quinn questions school emphasis on Irish, religion; Royal Victoria Hospital’s neonatal ward ‘should be replaced’; Poots to monitor Belfast hospitals trust; NI Teenage birth rate at 35-year low; Board to discuss HET independence; Ethnic cleansing fears over Fermanagh bomb; Fury over border schools survey
Child abuse cases most stressful, say gardaí
Examiner – Dealing with child abuse cases, suicides and fatal road traffic accidents are the most stressful incidents for gardaí to deal with, according to a survey.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/child-abuse-cases-most-stressful-say-gardai-189468.html
Cybercrime chief: Online child abusers more sophisticated in hiding crimes
Examiner – Online child abusers and fraudsters are getting more sophisticated in hiding their crimes, the country’s top cybercrime expert has warned. Detective Inspector Paul Gillen said rapid advances in technology were placing “huge challenges” on police all over the world.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/cybercrime-chief-online-child-abusers-more-sophisticated-in-hiding-crimes-189498.html
Groups: Need for lawful abortions in some cases
Examiner – There is an urgent need for interim measures to allow women with life-threatening pregnancies to have timely access to lawful abortion in cases where there is risk to their lives, the National Women’s Council of Ireland has warned.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/groups-need-for-lawful-abortions-in-some-cases-189485.html
How many people have paid the household charge now?
TheJournal.ie – The official deadline passed at midnight on Saturday night – but more people have paid since then.
http://www.thejournal.ie/how-many-people-have-paid-the-household-charge-now-407555-Apr2012/
Budget cuts force schools to cut Leaving Cert subjects – claim
Independent.ie – Budget cuts are forcing secondary schools to drop one or more subjects from the Leaving Cert programme with 64pc of schools considering the move. The most likely subjects to be dropped are accounting, chemistry, physics and economics, according to a study commissioned by the Association of Secondary Teachers ahead of its Easter conference.
http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/education/latest-news/budget-cuts-force-schools-to-cut-leaving-cert-subjects-claim-3071651.html
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/sciences-most-at-risk-of-cuts-for-leaving-189479.html
Quinn questions school emphasis on Irish, religion
Irish Times – The amount of class time devoted to Irish and religion in primary schools has been questioned by Minister for Education, Ruairí Quinn.
He said teachers had told him how up to 30 per cent of all contact time in some primary classes was taken up by these two subjects. “If we are worried about literacy and numeracy and this figure is close to being correct . . . then we have to ask ourselves questions.”
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0405/1224314388617.html
Royal Victoria Hospital’s neonatal ward ‘should be replaced’
Belfast Telegraph – A hospital neonatal unit where three babies died in Belfast should be replaced to improve infection control, a report into the pseudomonas outbreak said. The design does not allow enough space around each cot and there is a lack of appropriate accommodation for isolation or cleaning equipment in the regional neonatal intensive care centre at the Royal Victoria Hospital’s maternity section. This does not help maintain good infection and prevention control practices, the review team said.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/royal-victoria-hospitals-neonatal-ward-should-be-replaced-16140368.html
Poots to quiz trust heads on bug
BBC – Health Minister Edwin Poots is to question the chief executive and chair of the Belfast Trust about an interim report on the pseudonomas outbreak.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17619304
Poots to monitor Belfast trust
BBC – Health Minister Edwin Poots is to introduce special measures to monitor the Belfast Trust to ensure an improvement in services.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17627637
NI Teenage birth rate at 35-year low
BBC – The number of babies born to teenage mothers in Northern Ireland has fallen to its lowest level in 35 years.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17609616
Board to discuss HET independence
BBC – The Policing Board is to discuss a report which questions the independence of the Historical Enquiries Team when investigating killings by soldiers during the Troubles.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17619308
Ethnic cleansing fears over Fermanagh bomb
News Letter – DISSIDENT republicans have been slammed for placing an explosive device at the home of a UUP councillor in Fermanagh amid fears of attempted “ethnic cleansing”. Former UUP leader Tom Elliott described the incident at the Rosslea home of Harold Andrews as “deplorable” and said local Protestants were extremely concerned.
http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/local/ethnic-cleansing-fears-over-fermanagh-bomb-1-3696876
Fury over border schools survey
Belfast Telegraph – Questionnaire is bid to prove demand for all-Ireland education system: DUP. A controversial Sinn Fein plan to survey 50,000 families on cross-border education provision has been attacked by the DUP after it emerged that every child in the Republic who applies for a school in Northern Ireland already gets a place.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/education/fury-over-border-schools-survey-16140355.html