A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Court hears of council offer to Travellers
Some 90 travellers living on an unauthorised site at Thomondstown, Lusk, Co Dublin, had been offered temporary accommodation at three other locations but had turned them down, the High Court was told yesterday during a hearing aimed at removing travellers from the 1.2 acre site.
The action is being taken by Fingal County Council against nine members of the travelling community: Martin Gavin, Sam Gavin, Michael Reilly, Arthur Purcell, Robert Gavin, Terry Mongan, Patrick Gavin, Douglas Purcell and Paul Gavin.
Yesterday, Mr John Gallagher SC said the accommodation offer had not been taken up as the Travellers had said the proposed alternative sites were unsuitable as they did not want to be separated. They have argued the council has failed to provide for their accommodation needs which constitutes a breach of statutory duty and negligence.
The hearing continues today before Mr Justice Michael Peart.
Parents of autistic boy lose court case
The parents of a seven-year-old autistic boy SeáÓ Cuanacháin are to appeal a High Court ruling which did not order the State to provide him with specialised education which they say he needs.
Cian and Yvonne Ó Cuanacháin had sought orders compelling the State to provide funding for applied behavioural analysis (ABA), a structured form of education which is offered on a one-to-one basis.
However, the High Court found that the programme of education being provided for Seán - known as the eclectic model - was an "appropriate autism-specific educational provision".
In a statement yesterday, the boy's parents said they were faced with a huge legal bill which had yet to be adjudicated upon and had no definite provision for Seán for the start of the school year in September. The deadline for lodging appeal papers was yesterday.
"We have been required to appeal Mr Justice Peart's judgement, a step we have been loathe to take and a step which places an untold burden on us as a family . . . We can only hope the Government will afford us that opportunity by committing to funding ABA education for Seán."
Man gets six years for vicious attack
A 22 year-old man whose mother rang gardaí when she saw him attacking a Chinese food delivery man has been sentenced to six years for robbery of the man and possession of a samurai sword and double barrelled shotgun.
Patrick Byrne's mother was watching television when she heard a commotion outside her home and went out to find her son had smashed the windows of the delivery man's car and was punching him in the head as an accomplice took his CD player and navigation system from the vehicle. She rang gardaí and reported her son's involvement in the offence. A Garda patrol car later stopped Byrne and found him with a samurai sword and sharpening instrument.
At the time of the offence Byrne, of Belcamp Crescent, Priorswood, Coolock,who has 35 previous convictions, was on bail for unlawful possession of a double barrelled shot gun.
Two years for sex assault on child (5)
A Dutch national who sexually assaulted a five-year-old child has been given a two-year prison sentence by Judge Desmond Hogan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Ottmar Ortega (54), from Curaçao, with an address in Castleknock, Dublin, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the child on January 22, 2006.
The court heard that when gardaí were despatched to the house where the offence happened they found the victim and her mother in distress.