A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
Man dies after car turns over in Donegal
A young man died yesterday when his car hit a kerb and turned over in Co Donegal.The incident happened at Bruckless, on the road between Donegal town and Killybegs, shortly after 4pm.
The dead man, Ciaran Herrity (28), a student at tourism college, Killybegs, was believed to have been on his way home to Letterkenny.
Woman (92) dies in Kilkenny fire
A 92-year-old woman was pronounced dead following a house fire at Viper Kells in Kilkenny. She is believed to have been alone in the house when the fire occurred.
Union to raise funds for burned man
Members of the union Impact have decided to raise money for a Polish man who suffered serious burns in an attack just days before he was due to start a new job in this country, writes Kathryn Hayes
The 35-year-old arrived in Ireland at the start of January to take up employment as a mechanic in Co Tipperary. Early on January 13th, while walking along the Dock in Limerick, he met three youths, one of whom sprayed a flammable liquid in his face, which was then set alight.
The victim suffered serious burns to his hands and face, and is still recovering at Cork University Hospital, where he was initially treated at the specialist burns unit. He had refused to hand over a bag containing cans of beer.
Denis Rohan, assistant general secretary of Impact, said: "Like many of his countrymen and women, he had travelled here to work to provide a better future for his wife and two young children who remained behind in Poland."
Following discussions with a number of people in the union, it was decided that local union representatives in the mid-west, west and northwest regions would collect a minimum of €1 from work colleagues over the next two weeks.
Drumm claim over secure beds rejected
The Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) yesterday rejected claims by the chief executive of the Health Service Executive (HSE) that the closure of secure beds in a Dublin psychiatric hospital could not be linked to an incident in Limerick last week in which two healthcare staff were stabbed.
Prof Brendan Drumm said on Friday the closure of beds at St Brendan's hospital should not be linked to the stabbing incident at St Anne's psychiatric day hospital in Limerick on Thursday afternoon.
Dr Ananth Pullela, a forensic psychiatrist, suffered multiple stab wounds when he was attacked by a patient. His colleague, clinical psychologist Dr Catherine Burns, was also injured.
Prof Drumm said there were secure beds available in Limerick, and it would be wrong to link the two issues.
However, Seamus Murphy of the PNA said yesterday the linking of the Limerick incident to the closure of beds in St Brendan's was reasonable as there were no secure beds in the midwest. Consultants were often forced to balance decisions about the admission of patients against concerns around the availability of appropriate beds.
Four consultants in Dublin wrote to the HSE recently warning that the lack of secure beds in St Brendan's put everyone at risk. "We, like them, are worried that the next incident may result in a funeral," Mr Murphy said.
Crime in Ireland a 'regrettable reality'
Initiatives taken in Limerick to combat crime demonstrated the kind of social initiatives needed to be taken elsewhere in the country, according to the Chief Justice John Murray.
Speaking in his native Limerick last night, where he was honoured with a civic reception, Mr Justice Murray said crime was a "regrettable reality" for all parts of Ireland.
FG to table victim impact statement Bill
Fine Gael will this week publish legislation providing for victim impact statements that it says will address the controversial issues that arose during the sentencing of Wayne O'Donoghue, writes Harry McGee, Political Staff.
The Bill has been drafted to give statutory footing to victim impact statements, which have become commonplace in serious criminal cases but have no formal statutory legal footing.
The party also wants to broaden their use in the courts beyond cases involving homicide, serious violence and serious sexual assault.
"The total mechanism in the Bill is to facilitate witness impact statements to ensure that newspapers and broadcasters fully report the full impact statement, while also upholding the integrity of the criminal justice system," said a senior party source.
Woman pleads guilty to fraud
A former employee of the Christina Noble Foundation for children has admitted defrauding the organisation of almost €13,000 over a two year period.
Bernadette Moran (29), Kingswood Heights, Tallaght, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to six counts of misappropriation of funds between August 2002 and May 2004 involving the cashing of several cheques and the purchase of a flight to Vienna, Austria.
Judge Patricia Ryan remanded Moran on continuing bail.
Court rejects murder appeal
The Court of Criminal Appeal has rejected appeals by two Brazilian men against their convictions for the murder of a fellow countryman after a row in Kildare town more than two years ago.
In August 2006, Jose Claudio Batista (31), Ruanbeg Close, Kildare, and Adriano Martins Costa (25), Greencove Apartments, Newbridge, Co Kildare, were found guilty at the Central Criminal Court (CCC) of the murder of Paulo Cesar Siqueria (39) at Ruanbeg Close on June 4th, 2005. At the CCC Mr Justice Barry White imposed the mandatory life sentence on Batista and Costa.
Repossession order granted
A High Court judge yesterday said she had "little option" but to grant an application for repossession of a house belonging to a taxi driver who began to miss his mortgage repayments shortly after he was injured in a crash in which another person died, writes John Downes.
The case was among four repossession orders relating to houses, premises and lands that were granted by Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne in the Chancery Court yesterday.