A round-up of today's other home news in brief ...
File on stabbing of youth for DPP
Gardaí investigating the stabbing of a 16-year-old boy at the weekend are to send a file on the case to the DPP after two people arrested for questioning were released without charge, writes Conor Lally.
The victim was at his home on Brookview Drive, Tallaght, south Dublin, just after 4.30am on Saturday when two men armed with knives forced their way into the property. They singled out the teenager and stabbed him a number of times in the upper body and leg.
The teenager was taken by ambulance to Tallaght hospital, where staff last night described his condition as stable.
Three pipe bomb incidents
Gardaí and Army bomb disposal experts have dealt with three pipe bomb finds in Limerick and Dublin since Friday. There was one find in Dublin and two finds in Limerick.
In Dublin a device described as an “elaborate hoax” was found by the staff of a bookmaker’s shop on North King Street in the north inner city. Gardaí were called to the scene just before 8.30pm on Saturday and arrested a man, who was tackled and held at the scene by the staff of the shop.
Gardaí and Army personnel dealt with a suspect device in Limerick on Saturday night. A device was found during a planned Garda search of open ground in the Rathuard area of Ballysheedy on the outskirts of the city.
The Army’s bomb disposal team declared the area safe by 8.25pm. The find was linked to the discovery of two similar viable pipe bombs in the same area on Friday.
MEP among FF candidates
Outgoing MEP Seán Ó Neachtain and Leitrim-based former senator Paschal Mooney have been chosen by Fianna Fáil to contest the European elections in the North and West constituency on June 5th.
They were chosen ahead of former ICMSA leader Pat O’Rourke and Gerard O’Connor, a Sligo-based party activist, at yesterday’s convention in Castlebar.
Charity urges ‘text tax’ waiver
The Rehab group has urged the Government to exempt “free texts” to helpline services from any plan to tax text messages in tomorrow’s budget.
It says such a tax could act as a disincentive to those in need of help from services such as their own Heads Up, a suicide prevention service.
Free advice days to aid homeless
An unusual initiative will see planning consultants raise money for a homelessness charity by giving their advice for free.
The Wicklow firm Buck Planning Services consultants will hold a free planning-advice clinic in its offices in Wicklow town on Fridays for the next eight weeks. “All that is asked in return is that you provide a charitable donation of your choice to the Fr Peter McVerry Trust,” said Brendan Buck, a senior partner with the firm.
Robinson praises loyalist restraint
Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson has praised loyalist paramilitaries for showing restraint after the recent dissident republican killings, while also urging these groups to decommission their weapons.