Vomiting bug outbreak at Mullingar hospital
Visitors are being urged not to come to the Midlands Regional Hospital, Mullingar due to a suspected outbreak of the winter vomiting bug.
The HSE has appealed to people to attend their GP where possible.
In a statement, the executive said: "The Regional Hospital Mullingar is reporting a suspected outbreak of Norovirus.
As the virus is highly contagious the hospital is appealing to the public to attend their GP in the first instance where possible and to please avoid visiting the hospital, unless necessary, until further notice."
90 believed missing off Libya coast
More than 90 migrants are believed to be missing after their boat sank off the coast of western Libya, a coastguard spokesman said.
He said coastguards had rescued 29 migrants some 26 miles off the shore east of Tripoli.
Survivors said 126 people had been on the rubber boat before one of the sides was ripped and it started taking on water.
Man charged over €2.7m cannabis seizure
A 58-year-old man has been charged in connection with the seizure of cannabis herb worth €2.7m in Co Meath yesterday.
The drug was discovered during the search of a number of vehicles in Ashbourne.
A second man, 41, who was arrested as part of the same operation, has been charged with unconnected offences and both are due before Trim District Court tomorrow.
A 35-year-old man, who was also arrested yesterday during the search operation, has been released without charge and file has been prepared for the Director of Public Prosecution.
Investigation into Limerick shooting
An investigation is under way after shots were fired at an occupied house in Limerick City in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
No one was injured after a number of shots were fired through the front door and sitting room window of a house at Glenbrook on the Old Singland Road.
Gardaí at Henry Street are asking for anyone with any information to contact them on 061-212400.
3,500 applications to turf cutting compensation scheme
Close to €20 million has been paid to turf cutters taking part in a Government scheme to end turf cutting in sensitive bogs.
Figures from the Department of Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht show that turf cutters have been paid over €19m since 2011 for agreeing to cease cutting.
3,500 applications were made to the compensation scheme for cutters with raised bog in Special Areas of Conservation and close to 12,000 payments of €1,500 have been processed.
A further 1,649 once-off payments of €500 were made to cutters who have opted to relocate to other bogs and a total of 896 deliveries of turf were made to those still waiting for access to new turf cutting areas.
In addition, turf cutters in areas in National Heritage Areas have been allowed access to the scheme and 342 annual payments have been made to them.
Tributes paid to Paddy Lalor
Tributes are being paid in the Dáil this afternoon to the late TD Paddy Lalor, who died in July at the age of 90.
Mr Lalor was a TD for Laois-Offaly from 1961 and 1981 and served as a minister on two occasions, as minister for posts and telegraphs (1969-70) and minister for industry and commerce (1970-73).
He was also an MEP from 1979 to 1994.
Importance of Western Rail Corridor highlighted
The Minister of State for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief has said the Western Rail Corridor is important in order to achieve balanced development across the country.
Speaking on RTE's News at One, Seán Canney said there has been a huge lack of investment in Irish Rail and it's efficiency and operational costs need to be examined.
He defended the operation of the Ennis to Athenry railway line, saying 102,500 passengers used the the line in 2015, an increase of 50,000 on 2014, adding "just to close something isn't the right answer".
Mr Canney said there are as many people travelling on the Ennis to Athenry line as there are on the route from Dublin to Belfast.
12% increase in tourists visiting Ireland
The CEO of Tourism Ireland has said that there has been a 12% increase in people coming to Ireland this year.
Niall Gibbons said more than ten million people will have visited by the end of 2016.
He said the spend by tourists this year would be around €5 billion, money which supports over 250,000 jobs.
"It means that we're on course, across the whole island of Ireland to welcome in excess 10 million visitors by the end of 2016. So a very good performance all in all. The spend by tourists this year likely to exceed five billion euro, supporting over 250,000 jobs."
However, Mr Gibbons warned that Brexit meant that there would probably mean less visitors from the UK from next year.
