"Irish officials were worried by the "opulence" of a proposed trip by Prince Charles to Ireland in the wake of his successful inaugural trip to the Republic. Prince Charles - now King Charles III - wanted to visit Ireland in 1996, just 12 months after his first visit, because of the positive headlines it had garnered. Confidential files released as part of the State Papers revealed Irish officials were concerned at the length of the proposed trip extended and the luxury surrounding the Prince's events steadily mounted."
"Paramiltary groups across Northern Ireland were adding as much as 10pc to construction industry costs because of the impact of their racketeering and extortion operations. Secret files released as part of the State Papers revealed the astonishing range of scams operated by paramilitary groups across Ireland in the 1990s."
"Overcrowding and lack of bed capacity was identified as a major issue at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) over 45 years ago. New files released as part of the State Papers revealed repeated efforts to address the chronic overcrowding situation in 1979/80 - with UHL still regularly topping Ireland's hospital bed waiting list almost half a century later."
Confidential files detail Irish officials' concern about the perceived "opulence" and extended length of a proposed 1996 visit by Prince Charles following a successful inaugural trip. Secret records show paramilitary racketeering and extortion in Northern Ireland inflated construction industry costs by as much as 10 percent through widespread scams during the 1990s. New files identify chronic overcrowding and insufficient bed capacity at University Hospital Limerick dating back to 1979/80, with repeated efforts to address the problem and UHL repeatedly topping hospital bed waiting lists decades later. Officials also feared consequences from a potential PSNI raid on Sinn Féin offices amid a spying scandal.
Read at Irish Independent
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