The Deputy leader of Fine Gael says Anglo Irish Bank should be ‘handed over’ to its creditors in October when the guarantee scheme expires and let them recover what they can.

Richard Bruton’s told his party’s national conference the Government’s plan is to pump 20 billion – or 12,500 euro for every family – into a failed institution.

He also says they’ll oppose the 2011 budget which will cut investment and hike taxes, whereas Fine Gael would slash more from the cost of running Government.

Job creation is the focus of the current session of the convention.

Among those speaking on the theme today is Donegal Councillor Barry O’Neill, who is highlighting the potential that tourism has to promiter job creation in Donegal.

A Donegal woman has told a Central Criminal Court jury that her ex-boyfriend raped her after he refused to leave their home because he wanted to discuss their reconciliation.

The woman said that after the attack the accused turned to her and said: “The next thing you are going to do is tell the child that his Daddy is a rapist.”

The accused has pleaded not guilty to raping the now 26-year-old woman on July 1, 2004.

Senior Management with the HSE in Donegal have said that the future of the Buncrana Nursing Unit is safe despite it being included in an overall HSE review of services.

Local concerns had been expressed over the future of the home and folllow simillar concerns expressed about the future of the Lifford Community Hospital and the Rock home in Ballyshannon.

Buncrana Councillor Padraig MacLochlainn has been told the Buncrana unit is safe but says that he will be keeping a close eye on the situation none the less

Security alerts are continuing in Derry after the Real IRA said they left four devices in the city.

A hijacked milk van has been left outside Strand Road Police Station and the roads between Lawrence Hill and Asylum Road are cordoned off.

An area around Bishop Street Courthouse is also closed after another hijacked vehicle was abandoned at Bishop’s Gate.

At least three controlled explosions have been carried out. People have been evacuated from both areas.

The Craigavon Bridge is also closed.

A police helicopter is monitoring Madam’s Bank Road, but it remains open.

Motorists have been asked to avoid the areas if possible.

Journalist Eamon McDermott was contacted by the Real IRA who claimed repsonsibility for todays events:

The Bus Eireann Dublin service through Pettigo in South Donegal is to be withdrawn.

From Monday the 22nd of March the service will cease.

The service has been in place in the border village since 1985.

Independent local Councillor, Thomas Pringle, says Bus Eireann need to reverse there decision immediately

Senator Cecilia Keaveney says she is furious after learning that people applying to have the car NTC’d in Carndonagh are now being referred to Letterkenny or offered far off distant dates.

The Carn centre, when opened, promised to offer the people of Inishowen a local service which would see them avoid having to travel great distances to get their car tested.

However Cecilia Keaveney says that is not currently the case but has been assured the situation will be addressed:

A 500 million euro stimulus package will help get 50 thousand young people off the dole queues, according to Sinn Fein.

The party is launching proposals in Dublin today aimed at tackling youth unemployment.

The measures will also include a thousand extra third level conversion courses, 5 thousand ECDL advance places and an aim to position Ireland as a digital hub.

Sinn Féin Senator Pearse Doherty says the measures will hopefully combat the ‘brain drain’ of qualified graduates emigrating

A Councillor is calling on the government recruitment ban to be lifted for the FAS agency as it is claimed that in some cases those losing their jobs are faced with a wait of up to a month before seeing a FAS official.

Stranorlar Councillor Martin Harley says the situation seems to be particularly bad in his area.

He says currently staff that leave FAS are not being replaced and as a result people seeking the agencies services are experiencing unacceptable delays:

The Bishop of Derry says his diocese was not behind the confidentiality agreement in an out of court settlement with a woman who claims she was abused.

Seamus Hegarty was involved in reaching the deal with a woman who alleged she was abused by an unnamed priest between 1979 and 1989.

In a statement this evening, the Bishop says the confidentiality agreement was proposed by one of the other parties involved in the case and in order to reach a settlement, the diocese agreed.

The civil action was settled in 2000 – without admission of liability.

12,000 pounds was paid to the alleged victim – subject to a confidentiality agreement.

A Donegal man has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court accused of a raping his ex-girfriend in the county almost six years ago.

The man has pleaded not guilty to raping the now 26-year-old woman on July 1, 2004.

Mr Alex Owens SC (with Mr Paul Greene SC), prosecuting, said it was the State’s case that the accused and the complainant had been going out with each other for four years prior to the alleged incident and had a young child together.

They had been living together but the previous Sunday she had asked him to leave following a fall out. Four days later she came downstairs sometime after midnight, having heard noises, and found the accused there.

Mr Owens said it would be the State’s case that the accused had drink taken. He asked the complainant if they could get back together and suggested they go for counselling.

She asked him to leave a number of times and rang a taxi for him but he stayed on. An argument broke out when the taxi arrived to take him away but he sent it off.

Mr Owens told the jury it would hear evidence that the man accused the complainant of having affairs with other women before a fight broke out between them which led to him raping her on the floor, having ripped her underwear.

“Against her objections he had sex with her, without her consent and he knew it was without her consent,” Mr Owens said.

He said the jury would hear from the complainant that after a short time, she managed to get herself together and eventually got the accused to leave.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Barry White and a jury of six men and six women.