In short

More news in brief.

More news in brief.

Post office robbed by man with knife

A man armed with a knife threatened staff in a post office robbery yesterday. He held up a worker in the Bayside shopping centre, Howth, Co Dublin, at about 2.30pm.

Gardaí said there was only one member of staff on the premises and no customers. No one was injured.

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The thief fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash.

He is described as 188cm tall, with red hair and a slim build and was wearing a white baseball cap.

Guidance booklets for parents

Parents are being encouraged to read free guidance booklets aimed at helping them to better understand and support their children's development.

The Positive Parenting series of books, developed by the Family Support Agency and the children's charity Barnardos, deals with parenting skills and more complex challenges facing parents such as death, separation, domestic abuse and bullying.

The booklets are available free of charge from the Family Support Agency's website www.fsa.ie and Barnardos, www.barnardos.ie

Arrests over stolen computers

Gardaí investigating the theft of some €250,000 of computer equipment from a warehouse in Co Cork last month yesterday recovered the equipment and arrested three men in Co Tipperary, writes Barry Roche.

Detectives arrested two men from Cork and a third from Dublin when they raided a warehouse in Carrick-on-Suir and found the stolen computers.

Harney's adviser to leave his post

John O'Brien, top adviser to Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney, is to leave his post at the end of the year and return to a job in the public service.

Mr O'Brien has served with Ms Harney since 1999, first as economic adviser. He then became the programme manager to Michael McDowell after he latter took over the PD leadership from Ms Harney.

His decision to return to Forfás is not a surprise to colleagues, sources said last night.

Shots fired at Clondalkin house

A man was injured in west Dublin yesterday after shots were fired through the front window of a house.

A number of shots were fired through the window of the house at Monksfield Lawn, Clondalkin, at 5.30pm, say gardaí.

A 27-year-old-man who was in the downstairs front room was hurt.

He was taken to Tallaght Hospital with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.

Gardaí sealed off the scene last night. No arrests have been made.