A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
SF maintains contact with British
Sinn Féin remained in contact with the British government yesterday, party president Gerry Adams told reporters during a visit to Dublin.
He had been talking to Northern Secretary Peter Hain in the morning and expected to be in touch with prime minister Tony Blair later in the day.
Although he refused to comment on the internal decision-making process of the Democratic Unionist Party, Mr Adams said: "Fortune favours the brave and I wish the DUP well in their deliberations."
Urging all concerned to stand firm, he said the Rev Ian Paisley should feel "secure in the knowledge that he has huge public support".
Sports bodies in road safety move
The GAA, the IRFU and the FAI are to assist the Road Safety Authority in spreading its message to their combined membership of almost one million people.
Representatives of the associations yesterday met RSA chairman Gay Byrne and representatives of the Department of Arts Sport and Tourism to discuss ways to influence the sporting bodies' membership.
After the private meeting, Minister for Sport John O'Donoghue said sport played an "important part in the personal and social life of the members of Gaelic, soccer and rugby clubs.
"We propose to exploit every opportunity to encourage those clubs' members using our roads to behave responsibly and to have as much respect for their safety and that of other road users as they have for their clubs and counties."
Mr O'Donoghue said the GAA, FAI and IRFU had considered a number of initiatives which they could employ to promote road safety.
Thief has ban on visits lifted
A thief who was given a two-year ban from visiting Galway had it lifted when he told a judge that his father lived in the county.
Adrian Steepe (34), Carraig Hill in Portlaoise, pleaded guilty at Clifden District Court to stealing a jacket worth €65 from a shop in the town. He also admitted going into a surgery in Clifden and stealing €65 from a doctor's handbag. Both offences occurred on August 30th last year.
His solicitor, JJ Mannion, said Steepe was battling a serious alcohol problem.
Judge Mary Fahy handed out a four-month suspended sentence, ordered him to be of good behaviour, not reoffend and not to enter Galway city or county for two years.
However, when Steepe told the court that his father lived in Headford, Co Galway, she lifted the ban on coming to the county but warned him he would be jailed if he stepped out of line.
Fever threat to horses over
The threat to Ireland's multi-billion euro bloodstock industry from equine infectious anaemia (EIA), commonly known as swamp fever, is over, writes Seán MacConnell.
Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mary Coughlan, announced yesterday that all restrictions on premises, which had been imposed to prevent the spread of the disease, had been lifted. Ms Coughlan confirmed that the final blood samples had been taken from horses which remained under movement restriction and all test results had been negative for EIA.
Expressing relief but cautioning of continuing vigilance in the future, the Minister said the criminal investigation surrounding the alleged importation of the disease here continued.
Ireland had never had a case of the disease but last June 15th an outbreak was confirmed in Co Kildare.
The disease, which is usually spread by insects found in swampy areas, spread to other animals and by December 10th last, 28 cases had been confirmed.
Strict controls on the movement of horses were ordered.