A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
Man charged over death in camper van
A 28-year-old man appeared at a special sitting of Tullamore District Court last night in connection with the death of a man in a camper van in Co Westmeath in the early hours of Thursday morning, writes Steven Carroll.
John Mooney of Trim Road, Summerhill, Co Meath, was charged with assault causing serious harm to Thomas Canning at Lough Lene, Collinstown, on August 30th. Judge William Early remanded Mr Mooney in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on September 6th.
Mr Canning (42) of Summerhill, Co Meath, was found dead in the camper van by gardaí at Lough Lene, Co Westmeath, at 4am on Thursday.
Needle exchange may be approved
The Government is to consider the establishment of needle exchange programmes for drug users after Ireland's biggest voluntary drug treatment facility said it assisted 1,700 new injecting drug users last year, writes Conor Lally, Crime Correspondent.
Dublin's Merchants Quay Ireland project said that if State needle exchanges were set up they would encourage more drug users to come forward and begin interacting with treatment services.
The Minister of State with responsibility for the national drugs strategy, Pat Carey, said he would now examine the proposal.
At the launch yesterday of the Merchant Quay Ireland annual report for 2006, Mr Carey said he had already held talks with Mary Harney and Brian Cowen on providing more detoxification beds for drug users and more treatment clinics with a view to budget estimates.
Teachers write book for parents
An information book for parents of children in primary schools, written by teachers, was launched by the INTO yesterday, writes Seán Flynn, Education Editor. The booklet, Your Child in the Primary School: Tips for Parents, is available in Irish, French, Spanish and Polish.
Unmarried father ruling reserved
High Court judge Mr Justice Liam McKechnie has reserved judgment in the case of an unmarried father known as Mr G seeking to have his twin sons returned to him by their mother from Britain to Ireland, writes Ronan McGreevy.
He claims unmarried fathers should have the same rights as married men under European human rights law and The Hague Convention.