A round-up of some of the day's other news.
Ex-hunger striker Devlin dies in Belfast
Matt Devlin, one of the H-Block hunger strikers alongside Bobby Sands in 1981, died in Belfast yesterday.
Tyrone man Devlin (55) had been living in Tang, Co Westmeath, in recent years and contested the last local elections for Sinn Féin.
Twenty-four years ago he completed 52 days on hunger strike, from July 15th to September 4th, during one of the most significant eras in modern Irish history.
Yesterday Paul Hogan, the first Sinn Féin councillor to be elected in Athlone, paid tribute to Mr Devlin. "He was chairperson of the Seán Costello/Martin Hurson cumann in Athlone, and he will be dearly missed," he said.
Mr Devlin will be buried in Ardboe, Co Tyrone, tomorrow morning. He is survived by his partner, Geraldine, and two sons Declan and Matthew.
Carers lacking in help at Christmas
Thousands of carers in the home struggle to cope over the festive season as a vast number of services and special needs schools shut down, it was claimed yesterday.
Enda Egan, chief executive of the Carers' Association, said many of the country's 150,000 carers were left without any rest breaks and support as many respite centres, day care facilities and special needs schools close.
"There are a couple of factors coming together at Christmas time. A lot of services, but not all, close down. There is extra pressure on the carers, as a lot of breaks they get, even if they were minimal, are not there over Christmas," he said.
Mr Egan said it was very difficult for carers to participate in activities over the festive season with the lack of relief breaks.
"A lot of services run by health boards, such as day-care centres and schools, close," he said.
€110,000 grant for refugee council
The Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, yesterday announced the provision of €110,000 to the Irish Refugee Council (IRC).
The non-governmental organisation works with asylum seekers and refugees and this is the sixth consecutive year the IRC has received a grant from exchequer funds.
Alcohol adverts 'targeted young'
Alcohol advertising over the Christmas period saw continued targeting of young people, according to the National Youth Organisation.
The organisation noted a number of alcohol adverts screened before 9pm during programmes such as Friends, Emmerdale, Fair City and Eastenders, which high numbers of young people would have watched.
The organisation called on the Government to honour its commitment in 2006 and introduce a voluntary code for the advertising and drinks industry.
Cullen appoints inquiry inspector
The Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen, has appointed an independent inspector to hold a public inquiry into the application by the Railway Procurement Agency for a railway order in relation to the Luas docklands extension.
James Connolly SC has been appointed inspector and will submit a report to Mr Cullen following the public inquiry.
The railway order application concerns the extension of the red Luas line from Connolly station to the Point Depot.
Le Brocquy work raises €15,000
Irish artist Louis le Brocquy donated a painting to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution that raised €15,000 at auction in Dublin yesterday.
Money raised from the sale of Homage at Hokusai is going towards the Casteltownbere lifeboat service in Co Cork.