Live: GAA orders club football final replay; Varadkar defends nursing home strategy
GAA orders club football final replay
The GAA's Central Competitions Control Committee has ordered that the All-Ireland senior club football final between Kilmacud Crokes and Glen be replayed.
Kilmacud won the original fixture 1-11 to 1-9, but it later emerged that the Dublin side had 16 players on the field during the last play of the game.
The regulation in the GAA’s Official Guide at the centre of the controversy is rule 6.44, which covers the matter of teams having too many players on the pitch. Penalties range from fines, forfeiture of a game or disciplinary officials ordering a replay.
Varadkar backs ‘legitimate legal strategy’ over nursing home charges
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the State has always contested whether charging medical card holders for private nursing home care was illegal – adding that he would have signed off on such a strategy to contest these claims if asked.
He said the Attorney General is to submit a report to Cabinet next week which will be published afterwards.
It comes after a whistleblower claimed documents showed there was a secret government strategy to limit payouts to people on medical cards in private nursing homes by settling cases out of court once applications for documents are made.
In Leaders’ Questions on Tuesday, Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald said that for decades the State “ripped off hundreds and thousands of elderly citizens and their families by unlawfully charging them for nursing home care”.
Garda Colm Horkan murder trial
Stephen Silver, who denies murdering Garda Colm Horkan but its to his manslaughter, told gardaí that the deceased tried to attack him and added: "With all that's going on with the police in this world, I shot him," a prosecution barrister told the Central Criminal Court on Tuesday.
Opening Mr Silver's trial, prosecution counsel James Dwyer SC said the accused man then mentioned Black Lives Matter, which the barrister suggested may have been a reference to the murder of George Floyd in America.
Mr Dwyer also told the jury of six men and six women that an issue which they may have to consider is whether Mr Silver was "ill-disposed towards gardai" and whether that "manifested itself in his behaviour on the day he killed" Gda Horkan.
Mr Silver (46), a motorbike mechanic from Aughavard, Foxford, Co Mayo has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Garda Colm Horkan (49) knowing or being reckless as to whether he was a member of An Garda Siochana acting in accordance with his duty at Castlerea, Co Roscommon on June 17th, 2020. He has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
EU urged to ‘stand up’ to UK on Troubles legacy laws
Victims’ campaigners have urged the EU to “stand up” to the UK in opposing controversial laws to deal with the legacy of the Northern Ireland Troubles.
Bereaved relatives called on the EU for and also asked MEPs to hold a debate in the European Parliament and a resolution criticising the Government’s proposed legislative changes.
The Legacy Bill, which is going through its parliamentary stages at Westminster, would see a form of immunity offered to those suspected of killings during the conflict if they agree to co-operate with a new truth recovery body.
It would also prohibit future civil cases and inquests related to Troubles crimes.
Man charged with sexual assault of five women in Dublin city centre
A man has been remanded in custody charged with a string of sexual assaults on five women on Dublin's Grafton Street and around the south quays area of the capital.
Kevin Kletzander (31), of no fixed address, appeared before Judge Treasa Kelly at Dublin District Court on Tuesday.
Garda Mark Costello said the accused "made no reply to charge after caution".
The man is accused of sexually assaulting a woman at Grafton Street on August 5th and sexual assault of four other women a week later around the quays.
The Director of Public Prosecutions has directed trial on indictment in the Circuit Court, but a book of evidence has yet to be served on him.
There was no application for bail, and he has not indicated a plea.
Defence solicitor Sean Smith told the court there was "a fitness to be tried issue". He added that he was engaging with his client's psychiatrist, and a report was awaited.
