Other news from around the country in brief
Children targeted by drug pushers
Alcohol and cannabis use is widespread across the midwest region among children as young as 11 and 12, it has emerged, writes Kathryn Hayes.
The Mid West Regional Drugs Taskforce also revealed yesterday that Limerick city has one of the highest drug-taking rates in the country outside of Dublin.
At the launch of the first five-year strategic plan of the Limerick city subgroup of the regional drugs taskforce. Co-ordinator Gearóid Prendergast said children as young as 11 years old were being targeted by drug pushers.
ICMSA critical of sheep payout
The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association has criticised a Government decision to pay substantial sums from €25 million of unused EU money to sheep farmers and not to the dairy sector, writes Seán Mac Connell.
ICMSA deputy president John O'Leary said the decision by Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith was the latest in a line of "inexplicable and bizarre" decisions.
On Wednesday Mr Smith said all sheep farmers would be "substantial beneficiaries from the allocation of some €25 million in unused Cap funds from 2010".
IFA seeks bridging loans for farmers
Banks should offer bridging loans to farmers at competitive rates to help them cope with cash flow problems until they receive early payment of their EU single farm payment, according to IFA president Pádraig Walshe said, writes Seán Mac Connell.
He said this money was needed to help farmers get to October when early payment of €900 million of EU funding has been promised.
"They had severe cash- flow problems this summer, after an expensive winter and spring and very low product prices, particularly for milk."
Shannon partially evacuated in error
An accidental activation of a fire alarm resulted in the partial evacuation of Shannon airport yesterday.
A female passenger who was preparing to pass through a security check is understood to have accidentally set off the airport's high-tech fire alarm system, which immediately entered evacuation mode.
The alarm was activated after the glass panel on an emergency panel in the passenger-screening area was inadvertently broken.
Summer beach ban for Clare dogs
In three years of operation, Clare County Council has fined only two people for flouting the council's summertime/ daytime beach ban on dogs.
As the council reintroduces the bylaws that ban dogs – even on a lead – for the summer, Clare's dog warden, Frankie Coote, said the beach bylaws had "been a major success" with no reported attacks by dogs on people at Clare's beaches. "There has been a high level of compliance," he said.