Other home news in brief
Estate agents 'forgot core principles'
The president of the Irish Auctioneers Valuers Institute (IAVI) has urged estate agents to honour their "moral obligation to make sure our clients and customers make wise choices" when buying a house, writes Frances O'Rourke.
Edward Carey said: "I'm all for competition but the prospect of easy money led many people to overlook core principles" during the Celtic Tiger years.
Speaking at the annual president's lunch in the Royal Marine Hotel, Dún Laoghaire, he said: "As the mess left behind by the global financial meltdown starts to clear, people will come to realise that sticking with a professional auctioneer, properly qualified, is the only choice."
Planning guide is urged
New councillors elected in next year's local authority elections should be given an instruction manual on the planning system, according to the president of the Irish Planning Institute (IPI).
Andrew Hind said the guide should be provided to all newly elected councillors in a bid to educate them on proper planning and development.
However, he told the IPI's autumn conference in Dublin that revising legislation to exclude elected members from the planning system altogether "so that all decisions both on policy or zoning and on planning applications were taken by the executive" would be deeply anti-democratic.
Bail for O'Hagan murder accused
One of the men charged with murdering journalist Martin O'Hagan was granted High Court bail yesterday after his father agreed to hand in the deeds to his home to secure his release.
Prosecutors also said Drew King (40), of Moss Road, Waringstown, posed no greater threat to a key witness than his brother Robin, who faces separate charges in connection with the killing, and was released on bail last week.
Bus driver was 'unsung hero'
A school bus driver who died in a horrific accident after a bundle of 45 reinforced steel rods came through his windscreen, was described as "an unsung hero" at his inquest yesterday.
The inquest into the death of Eugene McGreevy (56), from Croghan, Co Roscommon, was being held on the day that his cousin, President Mary McAleese, unveiled a memorial in his honour close to the accident scene.
A jury at the Coroner's Court in Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon, found that Mr McGreevy had died from severe head injuries.
He died instantly after being struck by the steel rods being transported on the roof rack of a Peugeot van which collided with the bus on October 3rd, 2007.
There were 26 schoolchildren on the bus at the time, none of whom were seriously injured.
The van driver suffered a broken leg in the crash.
The jury recommended that the Road Safety Authority carry out an in-depth study on the safe transportation of goods on roof racks.
It also urged that Bus Éireann cease using 52-seater coaches on narrow country roads.