Nurses will begin work stoppages in three hospitals in Dublin and Tipperary this Wednesday in their bid to get better pay and working conditions.

More than 2,000 charges of medical negligence have been made against Northern Ireland hospitals since 2001, the Belfast Telegraph can reveal. In total, 2,279 charges of medical negligence have been made against the 19 health trusts between 2001 and 2006, according to documents that have been obtained by this newspaper.

Hospitals around the country are reviewing the scheduling of non-emergency operations in light of the work-to-rule by nurses. The impact of the industrial action in the northeast is being exacerbated by an outbreak of viral gastroenteritis.

The children’s charity Barnardos is criticising Ireland’s political parties for pushing children’s welfare down the political agenda. In a report out today, the organisation says one-in-10 Irish children still live in consistent poverty and too little is being done to tackle the problem

A majority of voters would prefer if certain offenders were diverted away from prison and into non-custodial programmes, according to a new opinion poll. Two-thirds of respondents to the Irish Penal Reform Trust poll said they believe people come out of prison in a worse state than when they go in.

Detailed consideration of the Criminal Justice Bill is to continue in the Dáil today. The Committee Stage of the Bill had been due to conclude yesterday but the Government agreed to Opposition requests for extra time.

More new houses and increased powers for planners and the Housing Executive were among the radical proposals unveiled by Sir John Semple. Sir John, the former head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, revealed his final report on the provision of affordable housing yesterday.

The Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick has today implemented a ban on visitors except in the case of those visiting critically ill patients, following a further escalation of the winter vomiting bug.

Enniskillen solicitor and businesswoman, Caroline Kelly who acts as an independent advocate for people with learning disabilities and their carers was the guest speaker at a carers’ AGM in Lisnaskea where she spoke about the fairer allocation of respite care, or ‘short breaks’.

Seven in 10 people arrested or charged for escaping police or prison custody over the past five years were never convicted for the offence, the Belfast Telegraph can reveal. A total of 131 people were either arrested or charged with escaping lawful custody from 2002 to the end of 2006, but only 39 of those resulted in a conviction.