A roundup of today's other news stories in brief
Pedestrians killed in road incidents
Two pedestrians have died following roadside incidents in Co Waterford and Co Donegal early yesterday morning.
Gardaí at Dungarvan are investigating an incident in which a man in his 40s died after being struck by a car at about 1.40am at Toortane, Lismore, Co Waterford.
The scene of the incident was preserved yesterday for technical examination and traffic diversions were put in place by gardaí.
In the second incident, a man in his 60s was killed when he was hit by a car at Trimragh, Letterkenny, Co Donegal, at 1.45am.
The scene was also preserved for a Garda technical examination and diversions were put in place.
These two deaths bring to 276 the number of people killed on Irish roads this year.
Since Friday, there have been nine deaths on Irish roads, seven of them in the Republic.
Lenihan told IRA not linked to killing
Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan said he had information "for some days" that the killing of Paul Quinn had not been ordered by the Provisional IRA, writes Alison Healy.
Mr Quinn, from Cullyhanna, Co Armagh, was beaten to death on a Co Monaghan farm almost two weeks ago.
His family blamed the Provisional IRA for the death, saying he had been involved in a dispute with individual IRA members.
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams rejected the claim of IRA involvement.
Mr Lenihan yesterday said it had been the indication for some time that it had not been sanctioned or authorised by any paramilitary organisation.
"That has been the information available to me for some days now," he said.
Mr Lenihan described the killing as "a reprehensible, horrid murder" and said "I know the gardaí are putting in a huge effort to bring those responsible to justice".
Bad weather deters exercise
Bad weather and lack of time are among the most significant deterrents to exercise for people in Ireland, according to research carried out by the Nutrition and Health Foundation (NHF).
The research looked at what motivates people to make improvements to their lifestyle and what prevents them from making such changes.
Results show that almost one in five people use bad weather as an excuse not to exercise.
Support also proved to be a key factor in maintaining fitness throughout the year.
NHF manager Dr Louise Sullivan said: "Individuals tend to be more successful at sticking to an exercise if they have the support of family or friends. We would therefore advise people to get as much social support as possible to help keep them going when the winter weather starts to act as a deterrent."
With the shortening of daylight hours, the NHF encourages people not to let their health and fitness fall by the wayside.
"It's easier to get out in the summer time, but we shouldn't put our feet up for the winter.
"We need at least 30 minutes of activity on all or most days of the week all year round to maintain health," Dr Sullivan added.
NHF tips to prevent hibernation during the winter include enlisting a "walking buddy" a couple of evenings a week to keep motivation up.
Among other suggested winter activity tips are starting a walking group at lunchtime, or making use of local swimming pools and indoor leisure facilities.
The foundation also advises investing in a good weatherproof jacket to withstand bad weather, and high visibility accessories to ensure safety when walking or cycling in the dark.
The foundation has provided additional information on a website at www.nutritionandhealth.ie