In short

Today's other stories in brief

Today's other stories in brief

Five taken to hospital after Luas collision

Five people were taken to hospital last night after a Dublin taxi collided with a Luas tram, writes Genevieve Carbery.

The accident took place at about 8.45pm on the Luas Red Line near Smithfield.

READ MORE

Gardaí said one passenger was taken to hospital with minor injuries. Four people travelling in the taxi were taken to St James's Hospital as a precaution but their injuries were not believe to be serious, said a spokeswoman for Veolia, Luas' operators.

Man charged over drug seizure

A man appeared at a special sitting of Carrick on Shannon District Court last night charged in connection with a €1.6 million heroin seizure.

The 28-year-old with an address in Dublin was arrested during a planned operation at Cortober, Co Leitrim. Gardaí discovered what they believed to be eight kilos of heroin during the search of a car. The driver was held under Section 2 of the Drug Trafficking Act.

National isolation unit opened

Ireland's first national isolation unit for Infectious disease has opened at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital in Dublin.

The unit will be for patients who contract hazardous and highly infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, Sars and pandemic influenza.

The facility will also look after a number of patients with other infections including HIV, hepatitis B and C, meningitis, MRSA and malaria.

The facility includes six single isolation beds under negative pressure to prevent airborne transmission by microscopic droplets, which is the primary mode of transmission of tuberculosis.

Man found guilty of deception

A man has been convicted on five counts of deception after gardaí found a makeshift hostel for illegal immigrants in premises he claimed was a medical training college.

Ali Ashgar (50) was charging illegal immigrants €1,500 a year for enrolment in his Chinese medical training centre.

He pleaded guilty to five charges of deception. He was fined €1,000 on each count and jailed for five months. The sentence was suspended on condition he did not come to the Garda's attention again for two years.