A round-up of today's other home news in brief.
Youth crushed between car and wall
Gardaí in Cork last night launched an investigation into the death of a 21-year-old student who was killed when he was crushed between a car and a wall. It is believed the student, from Co Limerick, was trying to move the car and had put in into neutral when it started to roll back towards a wall and he ran behind it to try and stop it, only to be crushed.
The incident happened at Westbourne Park off Magazine Road on the southside of the city at around 5.15pm.
Gardaí warn on ‘council’ burglars
Residents in the Dublin suburbs of Clondalkin and Ballyfermot are being advised to take precautions following a number of burglaries in the areas over the weekend. A small amount of cash and property were stolen, after two men, wearing South Dublin County Council high-visibility vests, gained entry to houses, claiming to be employees of the council, using the excuse of checking water pressure.
Gardaí have warned residents to ask people for identification and to ring the company individuals calling to their door are purporting to be from. Anyone who has doubts regarding the authenticity of callers can also ring the council on 01 4574907.
Sinnott urges pay cut support
Independent MEP for Munster Kathy Sinnott has asked TDs, Senators and MEPs to join her outside Dáil Éireann at noon today when she will be “instructing the Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas to reduce her pay by 20 per cent”.
She has asked all Irish public representatives to “share the pain of their constituents” by also taking a voluntary 20 per cent pay cut. “Politicians are elected to be representatives and leaders, what better way to lead than by taking at least some small part of the burden those we represent are currently under?” she said yesterday.
Research on ageing launched
A €600,000 cross-Border grants initiative seeking to improve the quality of life and services available to older people was launched in Trinity College Dublin yesterday.
Applications for new research are being sought under the programme, which is to be carried out over the next 15 months, on themes relating to Ireland’s ageing population such as health, inequalities, policies and services.
The grants are being offered by the Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland (Cardi). The grants are to be allocated in three stages. The first call of the programme, for €200,000, took place yesterday and the deadline for applications for this phase is March 9th. Further details are available from www.cardi.ie
Teenager stole perfume from BT
A Romanian teenager who was part of a three-woman gang which stole nearly €1,000 worth of perfume and aftershave from Brown Thomas was given a suspended four-month prison sentence and fined €300 at Galway District Court yesterday.
Ana Mirabela Armean, of Lurgan Park, Renmore, Galway, pleaded guilty to stealing €970 worth of perfume and aftershave from the Brown Thomas store at Eglinton Street, Galway, on November 23rd last.
Insp Ernie White said all three were arrested but only Armean handed over two bottles of perfume and the remaining stolen goods were never recovered.
Lecture on Pope Benedict’s vision
Veteran American Vatican correspondent John Allen will deliver the Irish Catholic 2009 lecture at 7.30 tomorrow evening in Dublin’s Davenport Hotel. He will speak on “Christianity and Europe – Pope Benedict’s vision and the question of European integration”.