More news in brief.
Religious leaders meet Taoiseach
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern met the leaders of the Catholic Church and the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland yesterday as part of the continuing series of meeting with churches, faith-based communities and non-confessional organisations.
The religious leaders had separate meetings with Mr Ahern at Government Buildings and they discussed a range of issues.
A Government spokesman said the meeting with the Catholic Church delegation led by Archbishop of Armagh Dr Seán Brady and Archbishop of Dublin Dr Diarmuid Martin had covered a wide range of issues.
These included the role of the churches in Irish society, social cohesion, community and education. The level of support for the family based on marriage was also discussed.
Later, Mr Ahern met the leaders of the Jewish Representative Council led by Chief Rabbi of Ireland Dr Yaakov Pearlman, council chairman Leonard Abrahamson and its secretary Estelle Menton.
Six questioned about prostitution
Gardaí are to prepare a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions after last night releasing without charge six people arrested in Cork for questioning about prostitution and the operation of brothels in the city.
The three men and three women were arrested and a substantial quantity of cash was seized as part of an investigation by local detectives and the Criminal Assets Bureau into prostitution, money laundering and the proceeds of crime.
Yesterday's arrests were a follow-up to an operation last November when some 17 premises in Cork were raided.
As part of Operation Boulder on November 20th, a number of sex shops in the city were raided and discovered to be fronts for upstairs massage parlours.
Gardaí seized amounts of cash, documents and video-tapes from a number of the premises.
ISME highlights traffic congestion
The increasing cost of traffic congestion to small business have been highlighted by a new report from the Irish Small and Medium Enterprise (ISME).
The report, published yesterday, blames the congestion on a "severe lack of traffic management".
It claimed industry was now routinely suffering increased transport costs, late deliveries, staff turnover and reduced productivity.
The report said some 72 per cent of small and medium businesses felt traffic congestion has deteriorated over the last 12 months, while commuting times have increased by over 60 per cent in the last five years.
ISME called for a national transport management agency to speed up traffic flows.
Man arrested over cannabis find
A man was being questioned at Store Street Garda station in Dublin yesterday following the discovery of cannabis resin in a joint operation involving Customs officers and gardaí.
A 27-year-old Polish male was arrested in Dublin yesterday morning.
Almost 1.5kg of cannabis resin worth €10,000 was recovered during a search of the man's apartment.
Tariq Ali lecture rescheduled
Galway's Cúirt International Festival of Literature has confirmed a late change to its scheduled programme. Due to illness, Pakistani novelist and broadcaster Tariq Ali was unable to deliver the Anne Kennedy Memorial Lecture in the Town Hall Theatre, last night, but it has been rescheduled for next Sunday in the same venue at 8.30pm.
Tickets for the original event can be used.