More news in brief.
Boy critical after being hit by lorry in Cork
A four-year-old boy was in a critical condition last night in Cork University Hospital (CUH) after he was hit by a lorry delivering coal at Knocknaheeny on the north side of the city yesterday.
Kelvin Purcell was playing at Ardcullen Estate in Knocknaheeny with a skateboard at about lunchtime yesterday when he was struck by the truck, which appears to have reversed over him as he lay on the road.
The scene was cordoned off last night for forensic examination. The lorry was also removed from the scene and is due to be examined by a Garda PSV inspector.
It is understood this is the second tragedy to hit the Purcell family who also lost a five-year-old boy in the autumn of 2000. Daniel Purcell died when he was trapped in an upstairs room when a fire broke out at the family home.
The parents and three siblings, Jamie, Shane and Leanne were saved.
13 redundancies at Arklow quarry
Thirteen workers at Roadstone in Arklow, Co Wicklow, were made redundant yesterday as the company closed the stone crushing plant at the quarry.
The reason given was the slowdown in the economy, particularly road construction and house building, which has hit demand for aggregate stone and blocks.
Over the last year there has been a huge build up of stocks of aggregate at the quarry and the plan is to employ contract crushers whenever new supplies of stone are needed in the future.
The company said that concrete block production and stone sales from existing stocks will continued at the quarry.
Pensioner held on piracy charge
A pensioner arrested as part of an international operation against online piracy was released on police bail yesterday.
The 65-year-old man was detained in Belfast on Thursday by the PSNI's Intellectual Property Crime Unit working in partnership with the Federation Against Copyright Theft.
The operation formed part of a global drive against those suspected to be involved in selling the latest films, music, computer games and computer software online illegally.
The man was arrested in the east of the city.
A substantial amount of equipment seized continues to be examined by police forensic experts.
A sum of cash was also seized in Thursday's raid. A PSNI spokesman said the investigation was ongoing. - (PA)
No injuries in Wexford hotel fire
Firefighters were tackling a major blaze at the Pines Country House Hotel in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford last night.
It is believed the fire started in the roof of the small family-run hotel, which was refurbished last month.
Six fire engines were called to the scene just after 7.30pm.
All the guests were evacuated and a spokesman for the fire brigade service said an ambulance was placed on standby.
There were no reports of injuries.
1,656 motorists fined over belts
A total of 1,656 motorists have so far this year been issued with fixed charge notice fines for not putting seatbelts on children, according to the Garda.
Drivers have a legal responsibility to ensure passengers under 17 years of age use the correct seat or seatbelt under EU law, said the Road Safety Authority.
The Garda will begin a new road safety initiative in schools from late September.
Garda officers will visit fifth-year pupils and discuss various aspects of road safety. A Garda spokesman said the initiative was aimed at pupils of driving age.