A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Garda appeal after fatal hit-and-run
Gardaí last night appealed for witnesses to a fatal hit-and-run in which a teenage girl was killed. The crash occurred at the junction of Dunawley Estate and Fonthill Road in Clondalkin, west Dublin, over a week ago.
Marsia Lieghio, Kilcronan Grove, Clondalkin, was struck by a green Fiat Brava with northern registration YIB-5643 at around 8.30pm on Sunday, October 16th.
The car was found burnt out in Blackrock, Dundalk, two days later.
Gardaí have appealed for anyone with information on the car or its occupants to contact them on 01 6667600.
Men held over Mayo bank raid
Two men are being detained at Belmullet Garda station in Co Mayo following a bank raid in the town yesterday.
Men brandishing knives held up staff at the AIB Bank branch in Belmullet and made their getaway in a silver Mercedes.
Two men were arrested last evening at a house in the locality where a sum of money was recovered. The car was found at a nearby beach.
Travellers health conference
Members of the Traveller community should be able to retain their medical cards for five years after taking up work, a conference has been told.
Such "affirmative action" was necessary given the high unemployment rate among Traveller women - 63 per cent compared with the 8 per cent State average.
The call was made by Ronnie Fay, director of Pavee Point Travellers Centre, at the National Travellers Health Conference at Croke Park.
The event also heard criticism of the Department of Health's failure to initiate the all-Ireland Travellers health study, four years after it was promised.
Missie Collins, of the national Traveller health advisory committee, said: "Our health strategy ends at the start of this year and this was a key recommendation, so why hasn't the study started? We need these facts and figures now if we are to plan effectively to meet our health needs. We can't keep using figures that are nearly 20 years old."
Minister for Health Mary Harney, who also addressed the conference, promised the study would begin early next year.
The conference heard of the contribution that primary health care projects have made to Traveller health over the past 11 years. But Ms Fay called for a State-wide pilot scheme to ensure that women employed on such projects, at an average of €90 a week, did not lose their secondary benefits as a result.
The Tánaiste also announced the establishment of a scholarship from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland to allow a member of the Travelling community study medicine, pharmacy and physiotherapy as part of its access programme.
'Traffic Tsar' gets new appointment
Owen Keegan has been named the next county manager for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. Mr Keegan, who is deputy manager and director of traffic at Dublin City Council, said he was delighted with the appointment.
He had been dubbed the "Traffic Tsar" of the city and has been noted for his promotion of public transport solutions to Dublin's chronic traffic problems.
Clamping was introduced during his tenure and he was also responsible for the alteration of traffic flows in the city, which diverted vehicles away from O'Connell Street.
A former economic consultant, Mr Keegan has also worked in the Departments of Finance and Environment, as well as with the ESRI. He replaces former county manager Derek Brady, who completed his term with the council at the end of August after seven years.
Anti-war protesters trial begins
A jury has been sworn in for the trial of five anti-war protesters accused of damaging a US navy aircraft at Shannon airport in February 2003. The trial will begin this morning at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and is likely to continue for two weeks.
Judge Michael White told the jury panel the offences with which the accused are charged arose out of anti-war protests in relation to the war in Iraq. He asked that any panel member with strong opinions on the issue which could hinder them from reaching an impartial and just verdict should make their feelings known before being sworn in.
The five accused are Damien Moran and Ciarán O'Reilly, both South Circular Road, Dublin, and both working with homeless people; Nuin Dunlop, a US citizen and counsellor, Walkinstown Road, Dublin; Karen Fallon, a Scottish marine biologist, South Circular Road, Rialto, and Deirdre Clancy, a copy editor of Castle Avenue, Clontarf. All accused pleaded not guilty.
Judgment reserved on appeal
The Court of Criminal Appeal has reserved judgment on an appeal by a Co Monaghan man against his conviction for having a massive explosives haul near the Border in 2003.
Joseph Fee (41), of Inniskeen, Co Monaghan, was jailed for 10 years by the Special Criminal Court last year after he was convicted of the unlawful possession of an explosive substance, ammonium nitrate and sugar, with intent to endanger life at Thornfield, Co Louth on June 13th, 2003.
Yesterday, his counsel Paul Burns SC submitted that the trial court had erred in law in not treating as an accomplice a witness who gave evidence that he had bought 13 bags of sugar for Fee.
In further submissions, counsel said there was no forensic evidence found on Fee's person or clothing to link him to any of the explosives found and the trial court should have handled the identification evidence of a surveillance garda with caution. The trial court did not sufficiently identify the matters which moved simple possession into possession with intent to endanger life, Mr Burns submitted.
Mr George Birmingham SC, for the DPP, said the evidence at the trial against Fee was "overwhelming" and he had been to all intents and purpose "caught in the act".