Health

Three weeks after the deadline has passed, a report into the death of Patrick Walsh, who died at Monaghan hospital, has not been published.

A decision by Mary Hanafin, Minister for Education and Science, not to include the Regina Coeli Mother and Baby Unit on the Residential Institutions Redress Board list was based on inaccurate information.

Much has been made this week of the view of Maureen Lynott, chair of the Catholic Church's working group on child protection, that its new policy goes beyond the requirements of Children First, the State's child protection guidelines. Children First was also the result of a process chaired by Lynott so her view has been seen as particularly relevant. However, it should be noted that Children First, which has yet to be fully implemented, is in itself significantly flawed.

Our Children, Our Church fails to follow some key recommendations of the Ferns Report, and rows back from an earlier draft

Marie Therese O'Loughlin is seeking the addition of the Regina Ceoli mother-and-baby unit to the institutions being considered by Residential Institutions Redress Board, so she can get redress for the injuries she received there in 1952.

Aged 18 months, Marie Therese O'Loughlin fell into a blazing fire at a Legion of Mary mother-and-baby unit. Now she is seeking compensation under the Residential Institutions Redress Board. Emma Browne reports

The United Nations expert on housing was shocked by the extent of homelessness in Dublin and warned against property speculation driving the Irish economy.

A TASC publication suggests the number of people in Ireland in need of housing may be a quarter of a million

Homeless people in Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin are being accommodated in containers due to a lack of hostel facilities in the area. The facility was started in January 2002 by Crosscare, a Catholic social agency in conjunction with the HSE and Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council. It consists of two portacabins that can accommodate 22 people. The facility is funded by the HSE and the County Council through the Department of Environment and Local Government, but managed by Crosscare. The night containers are housed in the grounds of the HSE on Tivoli road in Dún Laoghaire.

Underfunding, inequitable services and dysfunctional economic incentives are cited as contributing factors to Ireland's chaotic healthcare system. A new report from Irish Congress of Trade Unions, written by economist and journalist Maev-Ann Wren and American health policy expert Dale Tussing, exposes Government failures and warns against privatisation. By Sara Burke