A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
Man held over attempted abductions
A 32-year-old man arrested yesterday in connection with attempted abductions in the Skerries area of north county Dublin is due to appear in court this morning.
The man, a Nigerian, was arrested by gardaí in Skerries yesterday morning.
He is expected to face a single charge under the non-fatal offences against the person Act, 1997, when he appears at Swords District Court this morning.
Harney considers Bupa concerns
The Minister for Health Mary Harney is to consider concerns raised by the State's second-largest health insurance company Bupa Ireland on the market here in the wake of a High Court ruling last week which paves the way for the operation of a controversial risk-equalisation scheme in the sector.
In a brief statement last night Ms Harney said that she had listened carefully to the views of Bupa on the market. Both parties declined to comment on the nature of the talks.
Recovery hopes for injured student
The father of a Galway student who was seriously injured when hit by a traffic cone thrown from a bridge last week in Scotland believes his daughter may make a full recovery.
However, Mr John Flannery said that his 23-year old daughter Kate faced a long recovery period from spinal injuries and is being treated at a Glasgow hospital. She may have to undergo a number of operations, he said yesterday.
Ms Flannery, a student in Edinburgh, was waiting with friends for a taxi in the city centre 10 days ago when she was struck by the plastic traffic cone. It is believed to have been thrown from a bridge. A 29-year old Australian has since been charged with reckless conduct.
Medical post for pensions chief
The chief executive of the Pensions Board, Anne Maher, has been appointed by the medical council to chair a new committee to ensure doctors are keeping up to date.
This will be the first time a person who is not a doctor, and who is not a member of the medical council, will chair a committee of the regulatory body for the medical profession.
Ms Maher will retire from the Pensions Board later this week to chair the medical council's performance committee.
The committee will oversee the processes to determine the standards which doctors and specialists in the medical profession must meet.
Dempsey presents books to Vietnam
Some 160 books of Irish interest were presented to the National Library of Vietnam yesterday by the Minister for Communications, Noel Dempsey.
The books will form part of a wider exhibition of literature from the European Union. The exhibition will open in the National Library in Hanoi on Monday.
The Irish titles are both literary and historic. The collection includes books such as The Oxford Illustrated History of Ireland; Public Architecture in Ireland 1680-1760; Dictionary of Irish Artists and 20th Century Religion and Politics in Ireland at the Turn of the Millennium.
Mr Dempsey is in Hanoi to attend an Asia Europe summit on the information society tomorrow.