Tributes pour in for Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez

His death was announced yesterday after a two year battle with cancer. He was 58.

The country which is still recovering from an acrimonious election in October, has declared a week of national mourning.

Hundreds of Chavez supporters crowded in front of the military hospital where he died, weeping and chanting.

A vote to elect a new leader will be held in 30 days.

Tributes came in from President Michael D Higgins and the Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore. 

 

Taoiseach to outline plans to tackle job creation and mortgage arrears

Enda Kenny and Eamon Gilmore will also outline progress on the programme for government, to mark two years of the coalition.

The Fine Gael and Labour leaders are keen not to engage in a back-slapping exercise according to a spokesperson.

But their planned event today is titled "the plan is working" and they're even planning a twitter hashtag - two years on.

The coalition's expected to outline successes like the promissory note deal, but they'll have to admit slow progress in other areas like reform in health.

New policies to deal with the high numbers who can't find a job, and the growing group of people who can't pay their mortgages will be outlined.

Eamon Gilmore has already stated that this government will be the one that stands by people in mortgage distress and that they will force banks to deal with the crisis.

 

Body of a man and young child have been recovered by Cork coast guards

Resuscitation attempts were made but were unsuccessful.

The Goleen Unit of the Valencia Coastguard were called to the scene at around twenty to one this morning.

The body of the man was found in shallow water by Baltimore Lifeboat.

While the body of the young child was found on the beach.

 

Revenue Commissioners to begin sending property tax letters to homeowners from next week

The letter will provide a valuation on the property and there will be six payment options.

People who don't respond before the end of June will face stiff penalties.

Personal Finance Editor with the Irish Independent Charlie Weston says it's up to homeowners to speak up if the valuation is too high.

Other solutions have been put forward to replace the property tax scheme, like the suggestion that an emergency budget should happen instead.

Also is was recently announced that homeowners with insolvency arrangements can defer paying their property tax.

 

Cork woman takes her child abuse case to Human Rights Court today

A Cork woman is taking a case to the European Court of Human Rights today, seeking damages from the State for abuse she suffered as a child at the hands of a primary school teacher.

47 year old Louise of O'Keeffe, from Dunmanway, had sued the Department of Education over abuse she suffered at the hands of teacher Leo Hickey at Dunderrow National School in Cork in the early 1970s.

In 2009, her case was rejected by the Supreme Court which said the State could not be held liable for the abuse she suffered as the school was run by the church.

But the mother of two claims that the State failed to structure the primary education system in a way that would protect her from abuse and says she has identified a number of articles in the European Convention on Human Rights which she says were breached.