In Short

Today's other news stories in brief.

Today's other news stories in brief.

Green queries need for blasphemy law

Green Party Senator Dan Boyle has questioned the need for a change to the law in relation to blasphemy.

Senator Boyle, who is a member of the Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution, expressed concern about the proposed inclusion of a law on blasphemous libel in an amendment to the Defamation Bill.

READ MORE

He said the committee recently issued a report stating that while it was not recommended to remove the reference to blasphemy from the Constitution, it was a provision for which would be impossible to legislate.

“The recommendation to leave well enough alone should be followed. In an ever-more diverse world, where people can and do have widely differentiating religious beliefs, a one size fits all blasphemy law would be impossible to administer,” he said.

Motorcyclist killed in collision

A motorcyclist has been killed after his bike was in collision with a car in Co Carlow.

The collision occurred shortly before 3pm yesterday at Milford on the N9 between Carlow and Kilkenny.

It is understood the car and the motorbike were travelling in the same direction at the time of the collision. The motorcyclist, who is from the Carlow area, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Two people travelling in the car were treated for shock.

Man shot in legs in north Belfast

A man (33) has been shot in the legs in the Ardoyne area of north Belfast.

Four masked men forced their way into his home at Duneden Park late on Monday night and shot him.

A woman (22) and a three-year-old boy were also in the house at the time.

The PSNI says it is trying to establish a motive for the shooting.

Bomb defused in Clondalkin

Army bomb disposal experts have made safe a viable explosive device found under a car in Clondalkin, west Dublin.

The device was found at Deansrath Grove at 12.50am yesterday. The device was defused without the need for a controlled explosion.