A round-up of today's other regional stories in brief
Boy (16) remanded on murder charge
A 16-year-old charged with the murder of Celbridge woman Rebecca Kinsella has appeared before the Children's Court sitting in Naas.
Judge Murrough Connellan remanded the boy for a further two weeks to St Patrick's Institute in Dublin so that the Book of Evidence can be prepared.
The accused who was comforted by family members didn't speak during this afternoon's hearing which lasted only a few minutes.
His solicitor Conal Boyce indicated that an application for free legal aid will be made at some point in the future.
He will appear again at Naas District Court on March 2nd.
The art student was found dead at her home in Celbridge on January 24th.
Land entitlements sale begins
Limited trading in the sale of entitlements attached to land under the Single Farm Payment introduced at the beginning of last year, has got under way writes Seán Mac Connell.
Yesterday, the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mary Coughlan, announced that forms catering for the transfer of these entitlements, with or without land for this year, are now available.
These entitlements are based on land area and what was produced on it in the years 2000-2002 and are worth, on average across the State, €273.55 per hectare.
However, because the entitlements are based on past production in the reference years, entitlements are as low as €26 per hectare in Mayo to a high of €698 per hectare in Offaly.
Farmers who want to quit farming and who sell their entitlements with their land will face a clawback of 30 per cent of the entitlements if they sell outside their family.
Entitlements can also be leased or sold without the land being sold with them.
Work on Kilkenny ring road stops
Work has stopped on a €14 million extension to Kilkenny's ring road, scheduled for completion in 2008, writes Michael Parsons.
In a statement yesterday Kilkenny County Council said it was "disappointed" with the level of progress on the 4.3 km single carriageway extension to the N77 Kilkenny City Ring Road.
The project involves a realignment of the railway line that would link the Carlow Road to the Castlecomer Road and is scheduled for completion in 2008.
The contract for the road development was awarded last May to Regan Civil Engineering Ltd, a Kilcullen, Co Kildare-based company.
In a statement yesterday John McCormack, director of services with the council, said it is reviewing the situation and "will take whatever steps are necessary to get the project back on track."
He said it is the council's objective to "secure the completion of the project as early as possible while obtaining value for money in the public's interest".
Seán O'Neill, a spokesman for the National Roads Authority said they were keeping a close eye on the situation and were looking forward to getting a report from the council.
Regan Civil Engineering did not return calls requesting comment on the matter yesterday.