Protests greet return of Dáil

Members of the South Armagh Demilitarisation Committee protest outside Leinster House

The longest summer holidays in the country ended on Tuesday as the Dáil finally returned to work. The main news item of the day was Bertie Ahern's cabinet reshuffle, but a range of groups gathered outside Leinster House to highlight the failures of the coalition government. Among them were the South Armagh Demilitarisation Committee, protesting the lack of demilitarisation in their area; SIPTU protesting the planned privatisation of Aer Lingus; campaigners calling for an end to crippling Developing World debt repayments; and non-national parents of Irish-born children protesting Michael McDowell's reactionary Citizenship Bill.