More news in brief.
Playwright and actor for Abbey board
Eugene O'Brien, who wrote Pure Mule, RTÉ's award-winning and controversial drama series set in the midlands, is to be appointed to the new board of the Abbey Theatre, which is to be announced today, writes Deirdre Falvey.
O'Brien, a playwright and actor from Edenderry, Co Offaly, wrote the two-hander Eden, seen first on the Peacock stage.
Later it transferred to the main Abbey stage and won the 2001 Irish Times/ESB Theatre Award for best new play.
It was was later staged at the Arts Theatre in London's West End.
Teagasc meeting postponed
A scheduled meeting tomorrow of Teagasc, the Agriculture and Food Development Authority, at which a motion of no confidence in director Jim Flanagan had been tabled, has been postponed.
Teagasc chairman Tom O'Dwyer said last night that he decided to postpone the meeting to allow proper legal procedure to be followed with regard to a motion of no confidence in Mr Flanagan.
Gardaí uncover travel-pass scam
Gardaí have uncovered a counterfeiting scam, and a Dublin man has been charged in connection with forging lifelong public-transport travel passes and selling them for between €20 and €40.
The 33-year-old Dubliner will appear before Dublin District Court on February 10th.
The passes are allocated by the Department of Social and Family Affairs to people with disabilities. They entitle the holder and a companion to free travel on any mode of public transport, including rail, bus and Luas.
Family tells of suicide anguish
The family of a 21-year-old man who took his own life yesterday urged that additional Government resources be allocated to suicide prevention.
An inquest at Dublin City Coroner's Court heard that the young man phoned 999, saying he was going to hang himself in the Phoenix Park.
Two weeks before his death, on December 22nd, 2004, he had tried to hang himself at his home just three weeks after a similar incident.
Prior to this, he had jumped into the Liffey and been rescued by a garda. While at St James's Hospital he climbed on to the roof of the hospital and again tried to commit suicide, family members said in court yesterday.
They said they believed he should have remained in St James's after this incident rather than be released.
Dublin deputy city coroner Maria Colbert returned a verdict of death by suicide.