A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
Nurse unions' pay claim for Labour Court
An eight-point claim by two nursing unions for improved pay and conditions is to be referred to the Labour Court, after the failure of talks at the Labour Relations Commission.
The Health Service Executive Employers' Agency says the claims, by the Irish Nurses' Organisation and the Psychiatric Nurses' Association, would cost the taxpayer €1.67 billion if conceded in full.
The two unions have opted out of the benchmarking process to pursue their claims for increased pay and a reduced working week.
Two held after patrol car rammed
Two men were arrested in Co Limerick yesterday after a Garda patrol car was rammed following a supermarket robbery. The incident happened at around midday during a Garda operation to locate two suspects who had earlier raided a Lidl store in Charleville.
The men were intercepted by gardaí near Knocklong, Co Limerick, and following a brief chase on foot both men were arrested. They were being detained last night at Bruff Garda station under Section Four of the Criminal Justice Act.
Search goes on for fishermen
The search yesterday continued for two missing fishermen off the southeast coast. Skipper Glenn Cott (30), Ballycotton, Cork, and Polish national Jan Sankowski (45) have been missing since their vessel, the Maggie B, sank on Wednesday evening.
Another crew member, Kriston Pawtowski, was found hanging from a life-raft and suffering from severe hypothermia and shock shortly before midnight on Wednesday, almost an hour after a Mayday signal was sent from the vessel.
The Irish Coast Guard helicopter has been conducting an air search, while volunteers have been combing the shoreline.
Ryder Cup plans get go-ahead
An Bord Pleanála has given the go-ahead for a temporary bus park and access road to facilitate the Ryder Cup golf competition in Kildare in September.
The development, at Bawnogues, Straffan, will include parking spaces for up to 70 coaches on a hard surface. Temporary access will be developed from the R403 regional road and the Bohereen Road.
Permission was also given for temporary lighting and other associated facilities, including temporary offices and toilets.
The works will be developed in time for the Ryder Cup in the K Club in Straffan, which begins on September 22nd. The coach park and other structures will be removed when the three-day competition is finished.
Bessilton Holdings was given permission for the development last December by Kildare County Council and the approval was appealed to An Bord Pleanála by local residents.
Move to halt sale of glue traps
The Department of the Environment is to clamp down on the sale of illegal glue traps in Ireland. Retailers, importers and internet sources, including ebay Ireland, are to be targeted in an effort to stop the sale of the traps.
Glue traps, and tubes of specialist glue, are used to catch rodents and birds. The prey lands or walks on to the sticky surface, is held there and starves to death if it is not freed. Wild birds are sometimes caught using the traps sold in Ireland and abroad.
Under the Wildlife Acts, the use of glue traps is prohibited along with snares, birdlime and certain types of poison. It is also illegal to offer them for sale.
Two court cases involving possession of glue traps have been brought by the National Parks and Wildlife Service over the last 18 months.