A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
Eirgrid to put power lines overground
The proposed new EirGrid transmission system for 400kv power lines from the Dublin border through Co Meath to Kingscourt will be overground, the company has told councillors, writes Elaine Keogh.
Four thousand people attended a public meeting called by the Meath Pylon Pressure group this week to voice their concerns.
Thomas Mahony, project manager with EirGrid, yesterday said the company wanted to provide a secure supply of electricity to the northeast region and without the new network, there was an increasing risk to the supply.
The company last year took over responsibility for power distribution through the State's electricity grid. It says it meets all World Health Organisation and EU guidelines on electro magnetic fields.
Mr Mahony told councillors at a meeting in Duleek that the company "would not do something causing potential harm to the public". He added that the pylons would be a minimum of 50 metres from any house, with most likely to be much farther away.
He confirmed that EirGrid's proposal to An Bord Pleanála was to go overground. The proposal for the €100 million project will be made under the Strategic Infrastructure Act.
550km cycle for suicide awareness
A Leitrim man will today set out on a 550 kilometer cycle from the South Pole Inn in Kerry to the North Pole pub in Co Donegal in a bid to raise awareness of suicide.
Tony Lunney (27) from Carrigallen said the rate of suicide in Co Leitrim was higher per capita than anywhere else in the country.
Mary McTernan from the Leitrim-based Suicide Teach Organise Prevent organisation said that mental health services were still being neglected despite the huge death toll.
All the money raised in the cycle will go towards the organisation which was set up by Ms McTernan and her husband John after their son Garry took his own life.
Safe disposal of medicines urged
Members of the public in Cork and Kerry are being urged to avail of a free service to safely dispose of unused or out-of-date medicines before it finishes.
There are only 10 days remaining from tomorrow, in the Dispose of Unused Medicines Properly campaign, which has been organised by the HSE with the community pharmacists in Cork and Kerry.
Councillor appeals jail term
An appeal by Galway county councillor Michael Fahy against his conviction for fraud and attempted theft will be heard by the Court of Criminal Appeal today.
Mr Fahy (56), Ardrahan, Co Galway, was sentenced last March to 12 months in prison and heavily fined after he was found guilty of seven charges brought under the Larceny and Theft and Fraud Offences Acts by a jury at Galway Circuit Criminal Court.
Judge Raymond Groarke imposed concurrent prison sentences totalling 12 months and fined him €75,000.