DICK ROCHE, 26-County Minister of State for Europe, was at the centre of a political row this week after he admitted that that, despite the emphatic rejection of the Lisbon Treaty by Irish voters, he wants a second referendum to reverse the decision. Free article

SINN FÉIN Assembly member Alex Maskey said on Tuesday that it is important that the DUP now acts on the commitment it made in Downing Street in June to enter a period of intensive discussions to resolve a range of political issues outstanding since the St Andrew's Agreement. Free article

THE Government's lack of concern about island and west coast communities has been a recurring theme in meetings with job-creation, enterprise, community and youth groups in another series of meetings hosted by Senator Pearse Doherty as part of the Sinn Féin regeneration campaign, The West's Awake. This stage of the campaign included visits to the islands of Cape Clear, off West Cork, and the Aran island of Inis Mór. Free article

A MEMORIAL stone to commemorate the first of the many street demonstrations of the Civil Rights movement in Ireland was unveiled last weekend in the centre of Coalisland, County Tyrone. Free article

FOLLOWING a series of violent incidents in the Craigavon area Sinn Féin Assembly member for Upper Bann John O'Dowd called on Tuesday night on those responsible to stop their activities and allow the area to return to normal. Free article

LEADERS of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions met with representatives from the Department of the Taoiseach over the weekend to discuss reconvening the pay talks that collapsed last month. Employers' representatives from IBEC (the Irish Business and Employers' Confederation) will also meet with officials from the department over this coming weekend. Free article