A round-up of today's other stories in brief
€7,500 for girl (5) hurt in road crash
A five-year-old girl, whose only medical treatment following a car accident was "reassurance" from her doctor, has been awarded €7,500 damages by the Personal Injuries Assessment Board.
The assessment was described in the Circuit Civil Court yesterday as "far in excess of what any court in the land would have awarded her".
Counsel for Maeve Carey, of Deerpark Walk, Blessington, Co Wicklow, told Mr Justice Matthew Deery that he had no hesitation in recommending the court's approval of the award.
Judge Deery heard that the board had also awarded €200 in expenses to Maeve, who had been strapped into the rear seat of her mother's car when it was hit from behind by another car in September 2004.
She had hit her forehead against the back of the front seat and had a bump on her head. Liability was not in question and the board had assessed compensation at €7,500. A doctor who had examined Maeve several months after the accident had not given her any treatment other than reassurance.
The court was told that Maeve's brother, Liam Carey, who was just under two at the time of the accident, was awarded €5,000 in compensation.
Judge Deery approved both awards.
Extradition appeal decision reserved
The High Court has reserved judgment on a challenge by an American man to his extradition to the US, where he is sought on charges relating to a road crash in which three students died.
Frederick David Russell (26), who was arrested in Dublin last November, has claimed he received death threats in the US after the crash on June 4th, 2001.
Mr Russell is alleged to have absconded after he was charged in Washington State with three counts each of vehicular homicide and vehicular assault.
At the time of his arrest in Dublin, Mr Russell had been living under the name David Carroll in Celbridge. He was working as a security guard at a shop in the city centre at the time of his arrest.
The proceedings arise from a road accident on June 4th, 2001, when his vehicle allegedly hit a car carrying students from Washington State University.
The students, all in their early 20s, had been returning to campus after seeing a movie. Three were killed while three more were seriously injured. Mr Russell was later charged and released on bail.
In the High Court yesterday, Mr Justice Michael Peart heard final legal submissions and said he will give his decision in the next few weeks.
No Shell planning breach, court rules
The High Court has rejected a claim that Shell breached a planning condition requiring it to lodge a €20 million security for the costs of the future restoration of the site of the gas terminal connected to the development of the Corrib gas field in Co Mayo.
Mr Justice Thomas Smyth also yesterday dismissed a further claim by Peter Sweetman, a photographer and environmental activist, that Shell had breached another planning condition by storing peat deposits on lands owned by the State forestry company Coillte near the terminal development.
Even if he were wrong and there was a "technical breach" of the planning conditions, the judge said he would, because of a number of factors, refuse Mr Sweetman orders against Shell as a matter of discretion.
Those factors included the bona fides of Shell on the planning issues and the delay by Mr Sweetman in bringing his proceedings. The judge also criticised the failure to disclose earlier to the High Court that Mr Sweetman had blocked the unloading of a bulldozer for works connected with the Shell development.
Judge Smyth said he would deal with the issue of costs at a later date.