Other hoem news in brief
Elderly man injured in road collision
An elderly man was seriously injured in a road traffic collision in Co Clare yesterday which also saw two other people hospitalised.
The two-car crash occurred shortly before 4pm at Cratloemoyle close to the Limerick/Clare border on the northbound lane of the Limerick to Ennis dual carriageway. One of the northbound lanes of the N18 was blocked for two hours.
Two people were trapped in one vehicle and had to be cut from the wreckage by fire brigade officers. One of those, a 70-year-old man, was reported to be in a critical condition in hospital.
All three patients were taken to the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Dooradoyle for treatment. The other casualties are not believed to be seriously hurt. One woman, who managed to escape from one of the cars, was cared for by gardaí until the emergency services arrived.
Two units of the fire brigade from Shannon Town and ambulances from Ennis and Limerick City attended the incident.
Both cars, a silver Toyota and a black Chevrolet, ended up in the ditch in the central reservation of the busy dual carriageway.
Traffic was reduced to one lane and vehicles were backed up more than three km past the Coonagh Roundabout on the outskirts of Limerick City.
Ryanair delays launch of base
Ryanair has announced it is postponing opening of its Reus base in Catalonia, 90km from Barcelona, by five weeks. It blames deferral of the opening from October 1st to November 5th on a strike by Boeing employees in Seattle, resulting in the delay of delivery of new aircraft.
"We sincerely apologise to all our passengers for the inconvenience caused by this change in our plans but I hope they understand that it is due to circumstances over which we have no control," said Ryanair deputy chief executive Michael Cawley yesterday.
Minister's travel efforts praised
The Chernobyl Children's Project International (CCPI) has welcomed representations made this week by Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin after Belarus imposed travel restrictions on children from the Chernobyl regions.
Talks were held in Dublin on Thursday between Mr Martin and Belarus embassy officials in London to discuss whether children could travel to Ireland for treatment and rest and recuperation.
A source in the Department of Foreign Affairs said yesterday the Government is close to an agreement with Belarus that would allow children to travel abroad.
CCPI chief executive Adi Roche said yesterday: "I cannot thank Minister Martin and his officials enough for working non-stop to have the ban reversed and put an inter-governmental agreement document on the table."
Haemophilia conference
An international conference on haemophilia is to take place this weekend in Dublin. The 21st annual European Haemophilia Consortium Conference will begin this afternoon at Dublin Castle and will be attended by doctors and patient organisations from across Europe. Topics for discussion include patient mobility and migration in the EU.
Obstacles facing disabled people
The navigation of physical barriers - such as potholes, uneven footpaths or cluttered shop aisles - is the biggest issue facing most people with disabilities, a survey has found. The Enable Ireland Access All Areas survey found access to employment, transport, social/leisure activities and education was also problematic.
Issues regarding access to public buildings were widespread, with some respondents saying it was easier to stay at home rather than battle physical barriers.