A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
Man (38) charged on 18 counts of rape
A Waterford man was yesterday remanded in custody to the next sitting of the Central Criminal Court, charged in connection with 18 counts of rape at the same address. The man (38), who cannot be named for legal reasons, is alleged to have carried out the offences over the past four years in Waterford city.
At Waterford District Court yesterday, Judge Gerard Haughton told the accused he had 14 days to furnish details of an alibi.
HSE in talks to stop industrial action
Conciliation talks are to take place tomorrow between the ATGWU and the Health Service Executive to try to prevent industrial action at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, due to begin this Friday. About 300 union members, including porters and household staff, are in dispute with the HSE in relation to overtime.
They have balloted in favour of a ban on overtime and industrial action. The union wants more staff employed to reduce the amount of overtime worked by existing employees.
The HSE said it "will attend a conciliation conference under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission".
Mediator appointed in family feud
The Department of Justice has appointed a mediator to negotiate a truce between two feuding Galway Traveller families.
Charges involving members of both factions were further adjourned to October at Galway District Court yesterday to await the outcome of negotiations which have not yet started.
It was revealed at a special court sitting in May that the feud between members of the McDonagh and Barrett families might be resolved if a mediation programme was in place.
Judge Leo Malone adjourned the matter at the time to yesterday's court, to see if both sides availed of the mediation service. He indicated that if they had not done so by then, he would set a date for hearing the case. In court yesterday, Insp John Galvin applied for a further adjournment so that the mediator could meet both factions.
Judge Aeneus McCarthy agreed to adjourn the case until October 23rd.
Garda appeal over body found in lake
Gardaí in Co Monaghan appealed yesterday for information which might help them trace the movements of a Northern Ireland man whose body was recovered from Clonturk Lake near Carrickmacross on Monday.
The victim (53) had been missing for a number of days. Gardaí said he was not being named until all relatives were informed.
Gardaí have asked anyone who saw a red Ford Cortina car, registered HBZ 1202, in the south Monaghan area late on Sunday or early on Monday to call 042-9661222 or any Garda station.
Mayor concerned about Galway trees
Galway city mayor Niall O Brolcháin (Greens) has expressed concern about the chopping down of a mature maple tree in Eyre Square last weekend. The maple had been relocated during the square's refurbishment as one of 25 trees earmarked for maintaining. "This tree was replanted and died almost immediately. One or two of the new trees in the square are looking fairly dead too," he said.