A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
Flooding risk falls despite high tides
The risk of flooding this weekend throughout the country is now considered low despite the exceptionally high tides, according to Dublin and Galway City Councils, write Lorna Siggins and Ali Bracken
But the two local authorities have flood protection measures in place in the event of unpredicted bad weather conditions.
Galway's Spanish Arch and Claddagh Quay waterlines remain cordoned off with bright red barriers, and sandbags have been issued to all vulnerable low lying areas, the local authority says.
Dublin City Council said that while the risk of flooding was low, coastal water levels would be monitored.
Shellfish warning in Wexford
A warning about consuming shellfish harvested in Co Wexford has been issued by the Health Service Executive, writes Ali Bracken
Diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) toxicity was detected in oysters from Ballyteigue, Co Wexford, by the Marine Institute Fisheries Research Centre.
The health alert concerns bivalve shellfish, which include mussels, oysters, clams and scallops
Refuse collector killed at work
A local authority refuse collector who was due to retire next week was killed early yesterday when he was struck while walking by a vehicle while collecting bins near Claremorris, Co Mayo. He was named yesterday as Austin Carney, (64), a married man with a grown-up family, from Lower Mace, Claremorris.
He had been collecting bins with a council refuse team on the Ballyhaunis Road, Claremorris just before 8am when he was fatally injured.
Boy dies from car accident injuries
A 17-year-old boy has died after being injured earlier this week when he was struck by a car as he was crossing a road in Cork city.
Marcus O'Riordan from Model Farm Road in Cork was seriously injured last Monday night as he was crossing the Curraheen Road in Bishopstown.
He remained in a critical condition in Cork University Hospital for several days but died from his injuries yesterday.
Men arrested as cocaine seized
Customs officers at Cork Airport seized €100,000 worth of cocaine yesterday when they arrested two men and took them to hospital where they discovered that they had ingested a large quantity of pellets containing the drug.
Asylum-seekers' protest ends
The protest of up to 60 asylum seekers in a direct provision centre in Tralee, Co Kerry, has ended after talks between management and the contractors of the Department of Justice-owned centre with the protesters.