(The field races through the water feature in the Kildare Hunt Club Father Sean Breen Memorial Chase for the Ladies Perpetual Cup during the Boylesports Day at the 2013 Festival at Punchestown Racecourse, Co Kildare, Ireland. – Julien Behal/PA Wire)

HERE ARE THE things you need to know as we round off the day in three easy steps…

THINGS WE LEARNED

#PUBLIC SECTOR PAY: Government has said it plans to contact unions over the coming days to see if a deal can be reached in cutting the €300 million that remains after the failure of Croke Park II. The government said that it would make contact with the CEO of the Labour Relations Commission, Kieran Mulvey, who would then determine if unions are willing to negotiate.

#CARD PAYMENTS: The Irish Payment Services Organisation have warned both retailers and customers to be vigilant after scammers have contact a number of shops throughout Dublin in an attempt to gain the card details of customers. Separately, it has been announced that there are now 6,000 contactless payment terminals in Ireland, which are set to reduce transaction and queueing times in addition to making card transactions safer.

#SEX ABUSE: Gardaí have confirmed that they are investigating allegations by two men that they were abused by a sports coach in Waterford when they were in their teens. The complainants have said that they were among a group of boys who were abused by the sports coach, now in his 60s, on a regular basis in the 1980s.

#FRANCE: France has become the 14th country to offer marriage equality. In a landmark majority vote today, the French parliament passed the bill by 331 to 225 votes. The bill also allows same-sex couples to adopt. Opponents to the law have vowed to fight on and a challenge in the country’s constitutional council is expected.

#CHASE: Gardaí in west Dublin arrested five people in the early hours of this morning following a high-speed car chase. The Garda Air Support Unit was called in after a silver Ford Mondeo failed to stop at approximately 1.40am. The car was eventually stopped using a stinger device to puncture the vehicle’s tyres. Three of the five people involved have been charged.

#DIRECT PROVISION: Asylum seekers, refugees and human rights supporters have called on government to overhaul the Direct Provision system. The groups criticised the system, citing its ‘human, financial and social cost’.

THINGS WE LOVED

• Did you make it to Coachella 2013? If not, maybe it’s for the best. Otherwise this might have happened to you…

(The Jimmy Kimmel Live Channel/YouTube)

• They say a change is as good as a holiday. The change being proposed by the founders of Mars One, a Dutch non-profit organisation, might just be a little too drastic for our tastes, however. Life on Mars, anyone?

THINGS WE SHARED

• The arcade classic Pong was given a major revamp last Friday as part of Philadelphia’s tech week. The city’s Cira Centre already had the LED lights. All it was missing was a bit of imagination.

(Andrew Cunningham/YouTube)

• Delicious crossaints… just one of the many things that France has given the people of Ireland, and the world. DailyEdge.ie has seven more that you really should check out. Qui.

(Shutterstock – fresh croissants on wooden table)

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