A round-up of other stories from around the country.
ESB seeks order against Cork farmers
An application by the ESB for an injunction to restrain a number of Cork farmers from preventing its workers from entering their lands to erect an electricity line has been adjourned by the High Court. The farmers say they want the line to go underground for safety reasons.
Mel Christle SC, for the ESB, sought the injunction against a number of farmers who own lands at Carbery West and Bantry, Co Cork.
Mr Justice Liam McKechnie said he would grant the defendants a five- week adjournment but he would expect them to put in some documents in four weeks time concerning their case.
Couple rescued from mountain
A woman (29) and a man (35) were brought to safety in biting cold and freezing conditions early yesterday after becoming lost and disorientated on Ireland's highest mountain, Carrauntoohil, writes Anne Lucey.
The pair, believed to be from Wicklow, issued a distress call by mobile telephone at dusk on Sunday. They believed they were near Caher on the western face of the mountain. Both had mobile phones but there was no coverage.
Thirty members of Kerry Mountain Rescue Team failed to find them in a six- hour search and were on their way back to base at about midnight when a cry for help was heard near Brother O'Shea's Gully. The missing people were in fact on the northern face of the mountain.
Slow progress on Kilkenny road
The Kilkenny county manager Michael Malone has confirmed to public representatives that nine months after work began on a two-year contract to extend the city's ring road, only "10 per cent of the works associated with the project are completed".
Last week, Kilkenny TDs Phil Hogan of Fine Gael and John McGuinness of Fianna Fáil led calls from local politicians for an explanation as to why the roadworks had apparently ground to a halt.
In a statement issued to county and borough council members and to Oireachtas members yesterday, Mr Malone said that while "the council is very disappointed with the level of progress", he had "taken legal advice and cannot issue any further comment at this time".
2,600 hope to work near home
More than 2,600 people have so far registered with a skills database for Co Meath, set up to facilitate people hoping to work locally rather than having to commute, writes John Downes.
New figures for the database, run by Meath County Council and the Meath County Enterprise Board, show that more than two thirds of those registering are aged under 35, with nearly one third in the 26-30 age bracket.
Some 2,300 of those registered live in Co Meath, with the remainder living in counties including Dublin, Westmeath, Cavan and Louth.
A Meath County Council survey of commuters conducted at the end of 2003 previously indicated that 91 per cent wanted to work closer to home.
The new figures show that two-thirds of those registered are earning salaries of up to €45,000. More than one third are in the €31,000-€45,000 wage bracket.