A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
Inquest begins into death of Brian Rossiter
The inquest into the death of schoolboy Brian Rossiter (14), who died two days after falling into a coma while in custody in Clonmel Garda station, is to get under way at Cork Coroner's Court today.
Cork city coroner Dr Myra Cullinane is expected to call 33 witnesses, including the boy's father Pat, to the inquest, which will continue for the remainder of this week, then adjourn and resume in early December.
Brian Rossiter was found unconscious in a cell on the morning of September 11th, 2002, after his arrest at around 9.30pm the previous night on suspicion of having committed a public order offence in Clonmel.
He was rushed to St Joseph's Hospital in Clonmel, but moved to Cork University Hospital where he died on September 13th, 2002.
A postmortem by State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy revealed that he died of head injuries due to blunt force trauma to the head.
€160m hospital refused planning
Permission for a new €160 million women's, children's and maternity hospital in Sandyford, south Dublin, has been refused by An Bord Pleanála.
The Beacon Medical Group had previously been refused planning permission for the hospital by Dún Laoghaire- Rathdown County Council, which rejected its application due to a lack of sufficient infrastructure and foul water drainage in the area.
Prof Mark Redmond, medical director of Beacon, said the group was very disappointed that infrastructural deficiencies in the area had resulted in the refusal of planning permission.
Cancer tests referred to NTPF
Letterkenny General Hospital, which has more public patients than any other State hospital waiting over a year for colonoscopies, has said it will refer them to the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF).
The comments came a day after figures published by The Irish Timesshowed it had 153 patients waiting over six months and a further 94 patients waiting over a year for the crucial cancer tests.
The Irish Cancer Society says the tests, which diagnose bowel cancer, should be carried out within six weeks.
The NTPF had said the waiting times were unacceptable and unnecessary, given that it could arrange to have public patients waiting more than three months to be seen in the private sector. It criticised the hospital for not referring the long waiters to it.
The hospital said yesterday it sought to ensure those patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of cancer were seen within weeks. It said it recognised the waiting times were unsatisfactory. It said 300 patients waiting for colonoscopies at the hospital would be written to later this week and offered treatment under the NTPF.
Hospital manager Seán Murphy said: "Although we are actively working to reduce waiting times for colonoscopy at Letterkenny General Hospital, the historic backlog will take some time within our existing capacity.
"Given the importance of timely diagnosis, I would encourage any patient offered an NTPF-funded colonoscopy in the coming weeks to avail of this important medical investigation."
Ethiopia mission leaves this week
Former attorney general Harry Whelehan will join Minister for Food and Horticulture Trevor Sargent and 40 leading Irish lawyers and business people on a six- day trade and legal mission to Ethiopia this weekend.
The mission, organised by Connect Ethiopia, an Irish charity which aims to foster trade partnerships between Ireland and Ethiopia, is being led by businessman and head of the One51 investment group Philip Lynch.
Mr Whelehan and 10 Irish legal practitioners will hold courses and workshops with senior Ethiopian judges, prosecutors and lawyers over five days.