A round-up of today's Irish news stories in brief
Women in south dies of swine flu
A woman with an underlying medical condition has become the 10th person to die of swine flu in the State.
The Department of Health and the HSE issued a joint statement confirming her death in the south yesterday.
The announcement came as the Infectious Diseases Society of Ireland said it supported the universal immunisation of healthcare workers against seasonal and H1N1 influenza. It said patients would be protected from infection by unimmunised healthcare workers, and workers themselves would be protected.
O'Keeffe concern on school vacancies
Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe has written to schools asking them to prioritise newly qualified teachers for substitution and casual work positions.
Fine Gael spokesman Brian Hayes said figures from the department showed 1,800 retired teachers in receipt of a pension were continuing to work. The Minister's spokesman said he was concerned that principals were not opting to give cover, casual and fixed-term vacancies to graduates.
Sean Egan dies
The removal of journalist Sean Egan will take place to the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour in Glasthule, Co Dublin, at 5pm tomorrow.
Burial at Shanganagh cemetery will follow a 10am funeral Mass on Friday.
Former director of journalism studies at the College of Commerce, Rathmines, as well as an RTÉ journalist and presenter, Mr Egan died in St Vincent’s hospital Dublin on Sunday. He was in his late 70s.
Originally from Swinford, Co Mayo, he was one of the first journalists recruited by RTÉ television when the station was set up in 1961. His extensive experience included work for the Sunday Independent, the Daily Mail in London, and with newspapers in Kenya for many years.