New legislation banning discrimination against gays, lesbians and bisexuals is lawful with just one exception, a High Court judge has ruled.

Four daily newspapers are joining forces in a bid to tackle the problem of suicide in Northern Ireland.

Ireland’s first dedicated unit for pulmonary hypertension has opened at the Mater Hospital in Dublin. Around 200 people are currently being treated for the condition, which affects the heart and lungs.

A new report from the National Cancer Registry shows the number of new diagnoses of the disease continues to increase. The report says most of the increase is due to Ireland’s aging population.

Over thirteen million pounds was spent employing temporary nurses in Northern Ireland last year because of a shortage of trained staff, the Department of Health has said. The Royal Hospital in Belfast was the largest user of the agency staff, an official report said.

The Health Service Executive is to review the files of more than 3,000 breast cancer patients who attended the Midlands Regional Hospital in Portlaoise over a four year period. 3000 mammograms and 2500 breast ultrasounds will be re-examined.

The Health Information and Quality Authority has announced plans to conduct a review of all Irish breast cancer services. The move is designed to ensure that the highest quality of standards are implemented around the country.

Almost 300,000 people in Ireland live in consistent poverty according to the latest report from the Combat Poverty Agency. The 2006 annual report also claims that 10% of Irish children are living in poverty.

The number of cases dealt with by the District Court increased by 10% last year. Of the thousands of cases each year, many are passed onto higher courts such as the Circuit Court or in the case of murder or rape, the Central Criminal Court.

New childcare regulations come into force today, which will reduce the number of children a childminder can care for. The Childcare Pre-School Services Regulations were signed into law in 2006, but only take effect from today.