More news in brief.
Three charged over €4.5m drugs seizure
Three men have appeared before the courts in Dublin charged in relation to the seizure of heroin and cannabis last week valued at about €4.5 million.
The drugs were found at a storage facility in Clondalkin and in a parked car in the Crumlin area. The three men appeared before Kilmainham District Court yesterday morning.
They are: Hubert Schmidt (27), a Polish national, Scribblestown Road, Finglas, Dublin; Martin Smullen (28), Haliday Road, Cabra, Dublin; and Mark Smullen (35), Cloverhill Road, Ballyfermot.
All three were charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
Judge Anne Watkins remanded Mr Schmidt in custody to appear before Cloverhill District Court on Friday. Mark and Martin Smullen were remanded in custody with consent to bail, subject to conditions. They are also due to appear before Cloverhill District Court on Friday.
Rise in helicopter licences
The number of private pilot helicopter licences issued in Ireland has nearly quadrupled in less than five years. A spokesman for the Irish Aviation Authority said 42 people held a private pilot licence in December 2003, but this rose to 166 by the end of September last year.
Man's body found in Tralee house
Gardaí in Tralee, Co Kerry were last night investigating the discovery of a man's body in a house in the town. The body of a man in his 30s, believed to be from the Tralee area, was found in a house in Forge Cross around noon yesterday.
Detectives sealed off the scene and conducted a technical examination.
The body was removed to Kerry General Hospital where the Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margaret Bolster, was last night carrying out a postmortem examination.
Better long-wave service urged
Two radio engineers have called for the Broadcasting Bill to be amended to require RTÉ to operate its long-wave radio transmitter at full capacity.
The former RTÉ employees believe the decision by the State broadcaster to end its medium-wave service earlier this year means it must focus on providing a better service to listeners not tuning in on FM frequencies.
Kevin J O'Connell, a former director of engineering at RTÉ, said the broadcaster is not living up to its obligation to serve the public because the long-wave transmitter is operating at just over half its capacity.
A spokeswoman for RTÉ said it is satisfied its long-wave signal "is sufficient to reach customers across Ireland and the UK".
NI free travel scheme extended
People aged 60 to 64 will be able to avail of free public transport in Northern Ireland under a scheme announced yesterday.
Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy confirmed the initiative had been included in the Executive's three-year Programme for Government and he hoped the extension of free transport would be made by October.
Mr Murphy's department has called on applicants for the new scheme to submit claims to one of 27 centres, mostly bus and train stations and departmental offices, over the summer months.
Tree-planting move welcomed
A tree-planting service which names an oak tree after a chosen person was welcomed by Minister for the Environment John Gormley as he planted an oak tree at Armagh forest.
The Rooted in Ireland service has planted 1,700 trees since it began and hopes to plant 2,000 more by October.
"I see a very important future in green tourism," Mr Gormley said.