A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
O'Dea considers additional inquiries
Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea will decide on further inquiries into the death in 1999 of Pte Kevin Barrett in Lebanon, after he meets the soldier's mother next week. An inquest this month returned an open verdict.
Mr O'Dea said there had been a proposal for a Garda inquiry into the death. "Following my meeting with Mrs Barrett I will speak to the military and then I will decide what further investigations are warranted," he told the Dáil.
Untimely death of Greens' secretary
Government and Opposition leaders expressed their sympathy yesterday on the sudden death of Green Party general secretary Dermot Hamilton. Party leader Trevor Sargent said: "the loss of a general secretary to any political party is traumatic, but to lose a general secretary in his 40s . . . is very difficult to come to terms with." Tánaiste Mary Harney said "his premature and untimely death is a huge loss to his family and to the Green Party."