A round up of today's other stories in brief...
Major pile-up on N4 after collision
There were major traffic disruptions on the N4 yesterday evening when the road was blocked following a collision between a truck and two cars.
Two people were badly injured in the Co Westmeath crash and were taken to Mullingar General Hospital. The collision happened at around 5.30pm
Emergency services, including five ambulances, attended the scene on the road between Dublin and Sligo/Mayo. The road was completely blocked for much of the evening and motorists were being diverted onto regional and local roads.
Tara expert for Heritage Council
Conor Newman, one of the leading experts on Tara and a strong critic of the M3 motorway, has been appointed the new chairman of the Heritage Council by Minister for the Environment John Gormley. He advised the Minister on the Lismullin henge site near Tara, writes Frank McDonald.
Mr Newman, who lectures in archaeology at the National University of Ireland Galway, has been appointed for a five-year period in succession to Fianna Fáil appointee Dr Tom O'Dwyer.
The new chairman is an expert on the archaeology of the 4th-6th century transition from pagan to Christian Ireland. He was also director of the State-funded Discovery Programme's Tara Survey.
Woman dies in bypass crash
Gardaí in Cavan are investigating a fatal road traffic collision involving two cars on the Cavan bypass, two miles north of Cavan, at about 8.45am yesterday.
The driver of one of the cars, a 48-year-old woman, was fatally injured. She was the only occupant of the car.
The female driver and the female passenger of the second car received serious injuries and were taken to Cavan General Hospital.
Higgins criticised by hospital
Beaumont Hospital last night criticised the planning appeal by former Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins over permission for a private hospital in the grounds of the Dublin hospital.
In a statement the hospital said it "deeply regrets that an appeal lodged with An Bord Pleanála will delay the development of urgently needed additional capacity on the campus".
The appeal could delay the provision of the 256-bed co-located hospital by six to eight months, Beaumont Hospital chief executive Liam Duffy said yesterday. "Unnecessary delays will simply constrain our ability to meet the needs of our patients," he added.
Mr Higgins' objections were based on a "flawed understanding" of the plan's implications for a psychiatric unit, for which an alternative site has been found, Mr Duffy said.
He has written to the former TD to ask him to reconsider his objection.
On Thursday Mr Higgins said he had no intention of withdrawing his appeal despite criticism from Michael Cullen, chief executive of the Beacon Hospital Group which is due to build the new hospital, and from Dublin North Central Independent TD Finian McGrath, in whose constituency Beaumont is located.
Customs seize cash at airport
Customs officers yesterday seized €100,000 which they suspect is the proceeds of crime after they stopped and searched the luggage of a young woman at Cork airport.
Customs officers made the discovery during a routine search of luggage at the airport shortly after 2pm yesterday and seized the cash under the proceeds of crime legislation.
The luggage belonged to a 21-year-old woman from Limerick who was flying to London.
She was interviewed by customs officers about the cash before being allowed catch her flight.