A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Lithuanian denies killing fellow national
A Lithuanian man has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to the murder of a fellow national at a flat in north Dublin.
Donatas Sutkus (23), of no fixed abode, denies murdering Andrius Zakarauskas (27) at his flat in St Joseph's Villas, Richmond Cottages, near the North Circular Road.
Mr Zakarauskas was stabbed to death.
A jury has been sworn in to hear the trial which is due to start today before Mr Justice Barry White.
City councillors approve budget
Dublin city councillors have approved the city's €1.8 billion budget by 30 votes to 16, marking a defeat for the Sinn Féin and Independents who oppose bin collection charges.
The 10 Sinn Féin councillors and and three Independent councillors, Vincent Jackson, Joan Collins and Mick Rafferty voted against the budget at last night's council meeting.
Their numbers were bolstered by Labour councillors, Emer Costello and John Gallagher and Fine Gael councillor Dr Bill Tormey who also opposed the budget for issues related to the bin charge.
City Manager John Fitzgerald had last night cautioned councillors against defeating the budget over the bins issue.
The waste collection charges, which have increased by 5 per cent this year, are no longer determined by the councillors and were set by Mr Fitzgerald weeks ago.
Wicklow man on explosives charge
A Co Wicklow man has been charged at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin with possession of explosives and ammunition.
Colin John Conlon (36), Burgage Industrial Estate, Blessington, was charged yesterday with the unlawful possession of 104 rounds of assorted ammunition at Burgage Industrial Estate on November 25th.
He was also charged with unlawful possession of an improvised explosive device at the M1 motorway at Cloghran, Co Dublin, on the same date.
Conlon was arrested at Santry Garda station on Sunday night.He was remanded in custody until Thursday, when a bail application is expected to be heard.
Jury discharged in garda assault case
The jury in the trial of a Dublin man who allegedly assaulted a garda and a security officer has been discharged at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Moses O'Connor (25), Northumberland Drive, Dún Laoghaire, pleaded not guilty to the assault of Garda Cian Long and Bobbie Jenkins at Marine Road on April 30th, 2003.
Judge Joseph Matthews thanked the jury and remanded Mr O'Connor for mention of the case on December 19th.
Scaffolding fell on man's head
The owner of a scaffolding company will be sentenced in January for breaches of health and safety regulations which led to the serious injury of a member of the public who was struck on the head by falling scaffolding on Dublin's Grafton Street.
Michael McGrath was walking to St Stephen's Green on March 27th, 2003, when he was hit on the head by scaffolding which was being dismantled outside Serena Boutique at 59 Grafton Street.
Paul Byrne (43), owner of P Byrne Scaffolding, White- church Hill, Ballyboden, Dublin, pleaded guilty on behalf of his company to two counts of breaching health and safety regulations in that it failed to provide a system of work and failed to ensure that persons not employed by the company were not exposed to risk.
Judge Desmond Hogan heard that the statutory maximum sentence was an unlimited fine. Sentence was adjourned to January 12th, 2006, to allow time for the company's accounts to be presented to the court.