A court has heard that the first garda who arrived on the scene of the crash in which five Meath schoolgirls were killed described it as having "an air of unreality" with children walking around screaming and talking on their mobile phones.

The sentencing of Bus Éireann, Meath County Council and Keltank Ltd, arising from the investigation into the 2005 fatal bus crash in which five Meath schoolgirls were killed, has been set for next Thursday.

A County Louth test centre has been acquitted on charges arising from the investigation into the fatal bus crash in which five Meath schoolgirls were killed on May 23, 2005.

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has welcomed the record fine imposed on Smurfit News Press Ltd today in relation to two accidents at the company's plant in Kells, Co Meath.

A leading newspaper printer was hit with the largest fine yet for health and safety breaches today, after one worker lost a leg and another had skin ripped off a hand in separate accidents.