Dog lovers on warpath over beach rules

DOG owners have slammed Dublin's "barking mad" beach rules forcing their pets to be kept on a leash at all times.
They are now going to march on Dun Laoghaire town hall to protest against the regulations -- which were first introduced in 2009.
While the beach bye-laws have been active for two years, signs have only recently gone up warning of €150 fines for allowing dogs to run free on any of Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council's swim spots.
The move has angered walkers, who point out the rules apply even in winter, when the beaches are empty.
They now plan to walk from Sandycove beach to Dun Laoghaire on Sunday to deliver a petition objecting to the laws.
"The bye-laws exist but they [the council] have decided they're going to enforce them," Liz Neligan, a spokeswoman for lobby group Dogs Unleashed, told the Herald.
"Dogs are never allowed off the leash in any beach in our county-- nor in any park in our county apart from two dog pens in Shanganagh and Marlay parks," the Monkstown resident added.
She said the rules apply "even if the beach is empty and it's the middle of winter".
She said the council is now "putting signs up all over the place" warning of the fines for not having a dog on a leash.
Dogs are not even able to swim in the water "unless you are prepared to go into the sea and hold them by the leash".
However, the council pointed out the rules have been in place for years.
"Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council have made no alterations to the 2009 beach bye-laws. Indeed, the clause referring to dogs on leashes were in the previous bye-laws," the council said.
But it admitted to increasing the level of enforcement.
"In response to a number of incidents and also in response to the high incidence of dog fouling in public places, the council has stepped up enforcement, particularly in the main swimming areas," the council said.

New M50 toll nightmare

HIKE: No escape as drivers stare at further charges 

FAMILIES today were facing another financial blow with new plans for increased tolls on major roads.
Motorists won't be able to move on the M50 without being hit with a toll under the plans.
The National Roads Authority (NRA) is looking to introduce 'multi-point' charges on the Dublin ring-road.
It means drivers will not be able to access the motorway without being tolled.
As things stand, only vehicles that pass between the Blanchardstown and Lucan junctions have to pay the fee.
This generates about €100m a year for the exchequer.
But under the proposed regime, tolling would be introduced on every section of the M50 -- regardless of the length of the journey.
That would hit commuters who use sections of the motorway everyday to get to work.
And it is not just the Dublin motorway being targeted -- six other major networks have also been earmarked for charges.
It's another expense for drivers, who have been crippled by higher insurance and fuel costs.
Consultants hired by the NRA have been tasked with coming up with the plan.
The roads body has already conducted a "demand management" study -- which recommended multi-point tolling -- and submitted the report to the previous government.
Levied
One of the elements looked at was whether to charge drivers a higher fee for using the M50 during peak times.
The latest report will "assess and introduce" new toll points on the ring road, as well as almost all of the country's other major routes.
These include the Dundalk bypass, the N20 at Mallow in Co Cork and the N20 at Croom in Co Limerick.
Under the new plans, the thousands of drivers who currently use the M50 for free -- by not passing between junction 6 and 7 -- will have to pay.
The motorway is to be divided into sections, with a charge being levied for each portion used during a journey.
For example, 50c could be charged for every interchange a driver passes up to a maximum of €3.
The NRA submitted in October claimed the Exchequer could raise an extra €62m a year through new tolls on the national road network.
Decision
The nine existing tolls have raised almost €2.2bn since 2006, it is estimated.
Transport Minister Leo Varadkar told an Oireachtas committee last week that no decision had been made about additional tolling but "consideration is being given to the matter".
He pointed out planning permission for the M50 in Dublin provides for multi-point tolling.
The minister said a local government efficiency review had proposed additional tolling to fund road improvement and maintenance.
But any further increases in tolls are sure to lead to a backlash from drivers.

Brothers held in mechanic murder hunt

A DUBLIN businessman and his brother are being being quizzed over a mechanic's gun murder.
The men were arrested in south Dublin yesterday by detectives investigating the murder of Liam 'Blackie' Murray, who was shot in his bed in Rathfarnham in March 2009.
The 42-year-old's murder may be linked to a property deal he was involved in which "went horribly wrong", according to sources.
Mr Murray was shot once in the head and four times in the body with a handgun as he lay in bed at his home, where he lived alone, at Rockbrook Cottages, Edmondstown Road, Rathfarnham.
It is understood his body was not discovered for some days after the shooting.
Yesterday, detectives arrested two brothers, aged 47 and 49, in south Dublin -- one is a well- known Dublin businessman while the other brother is a former IRA member who has served a lengthy jail sentence.
The arrests of the brothers are the first in a detailed investigation which is being led by gardai from Terenure Garda Station.
It is understood the "property deal" motive is just one of a number of theories being probed by detectives.
Mr Murray, who had a small garage business in Templeogue, was known to have dabbled in property and is understood to have had an interest in properties across the city.
He is said to have had a "volatile" temperament and had been annoyed when he felt that he had been treated unfairly over a major property deal.
Sources say that this led him to make threats against individuals, which in turn led to threats being made against him -- and possibly his murder.

Mum's agony as no arrests made in son's 'murder'

THE MOTHER of a Dublin man who disappeared and was murdered two years ago this week has hit out at the fact that no arrests have been made in the case.
Ashley Dempsey, the mother of Paul Byrne (20), told the Herald she is frustrated that nobody has yet been detained over his murder.
Father-of-two Byrne was last seen on July 15, 2009, when he got into a wine-coloured Mitsubishi car outside his home in Kilmartin Green, Tallaght, and was driven away.
A year later, in July 2010, his decomposed remains were found in a remote Wicklow forest near Blessington and a murder hunt was launched.
Remains
Paul's partner, Martina McQuillan, had only found out she was pregnant with their second child in the weeks before Paul went missing -- she gave birth to their second daughter, Faith, in February 2010.
Now, a year after Paul's remains were discovered, Paul's mother Ashley Dempsey has said the lack of progress in the investigation is "distressing".
"I'm annoyed with the gardai that nobody has been arrested or questioned," Ashley told the Herald.
Paul is presumed to have been murdered by a criminal gang, despite the fact that he had no criminal record and was not known to be in any trouble.
The investigation into Paul's disappearance was originally being looked after by Tallaght gardai, but after his remains were found, the investigation largely shifted to Baltinglass.
"I'm going to ask that the investigation be brought back to Tallaght. I haven't even had an inquest. Nothing," said Ashley.
The bones were found by forestry workers at Ballyfolan, near Manor Kilbride, in west Wicklow on July 29 last year.
The grim discovery was made by forestry workers clearing land. A search of the area then yielded a bracelet and keys, thought to be Paul's.