More news in brief.
SF Dublin city councillor resigns seat
A Sinn Féin member of Dublin City Council has resigned his seat, the party confirmed last night. Nicky Kehoe (51) narrowly missed taking a Dáil seat in the 2002 general election before making way for Mary Lou McDonald, who was unsuccessful as a candidate in Dublin Central last May.
He is the fifth Sinn Féin councillor to resign for personal reasons since 2004 and is the 16th member of the 52-person Dublin council to bow out.
It comes just days after Felix Gallagher, another party councillor and a general election candidate in Dublin West, resigned his Fingal County Council seat.
He polled 1,624 first-preference votes in the general election in May.
Both men will remain in the party.
60 more Garda Reserve graduates
Sixty recruits to the Garda Reserve graduated on Saturday at a ceremony at the Garda College, Templemore, Co Tipperary.
There are now 170 reservists assigned to Garda stations throughout the State with a further 70 having just begun their training at Templemore.
The Department of Justice and An Garda Síochána plans to increase the size of the Reserve force to 1,600 by 2012.
Man charged over drugs seizure
A man was charged at a special sitting of Longford District Court on Saturday evening in connection with a drugs find in Co Offaly.
Cocaine with an estimated street value of €80,000 was discovered during a search of a house in Edenderry on Friday.
Tony Byrne (30), of The Sycamores, Edenderry, was granted €3,000 bail and is due to appear before Tullamore District Court on Wednesday.
Man serious after Portlaoise knifing
Gardaí in Portlaoise are questioning a man in relation to a stabbing incident early yesterday morning. A 35-year-old man is in a serious condition in Midlands Regional Hospital in Portlaoise after receiving a stab wound to his chest.
The incident occurred at a house in Triogue Manor estate shortly after midnight. One man was arrested.