EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you the nine things you need to know as you kick off your day.
1. #CHILDREN IN CARE: New figures from the HSE show more children known to state institutions have died so far this year than in all of 2011. 13 young people have died in care so far in 2012, compared to 11 in all of 2011. 22 had died the previous year.
2. #JOBSWATCH: A group of seafood processing companies have announced plans to create over 140 jobs around the country. Agriculture minister Simon Coveney says the 21 companies are investing €15 million, supported by EU grants.
3. #DAILJOBSWATCH: A few dozen jobs could be lost in the Dáil in the next election, the Irish Times reports, reporting that the Constituency Commission is set to recommend a reduction in the Dáil to 158. The tweaks will likely mean the merger of the two constituencies in counties Kerry, Tipperary and Donegal, while Cork and Dublin will lose seats too.
4. #MOTORING: Clamping down on emissions rules could actually save money for drivers, An Taisce has claimed. The group is looking for Ireland to lead the way in new EU-wide rules on motor efficiency – and says cutting emissions standards on a phased basis by 2025 could save the average driver over €800 a year.
5. #CHARITY: The Society of St Vincent de Paul has revealed an 83 per cent increase in calls for assistance over the last three years. The association received over 88,000 calls last year to its offices nationwide, compared to a little over 48,000 in 2009. A quarter of those seeking assistance were doing so for the first time.
6. #SPAIN: A gynaecologist on the Spanish island of Mallorca has been ordered to pay monthly maintenance to the mother of a child who had attended his clinic for an abortion, but whose procedure was botched. The woman discovered her abortion had been unsuccessful five months into her nine, by which time it was too late to have another.
7. #AFGHANISTAN: French president Francois Hollande has made a surprise visit to Afghanistan, to discuss the possibility of withdrawing French troops – two years before the other NATO troops leave. Hollande said he would co-ordinate closely with NATO and Afghan leaders about bringing his 3,550 troops home.
8. #OOPS: Bill Clinton has unwittingly posed for photographs with two porn stars at a party in Monte Carlo. Clinton was attending a gala benefit ‘Nights in Monaco’ when two women asked him to stop for a photo – and obliged, not knowing one was an adult actress who immediately posted the pic on Twitter to her 85,000 followers.
9. #MASTERPIECE: Ireland has named its favourite painting – and shown itself to be a nation of romantics. RTÉ’s public vote has revealed ‘The Meeting on the Turret Stairs’ by Frederic William Burton to be Ireland’s best-loved work. President Michael D Higgins, who announced the winner last night, said the work was “very considerable and beautiful”.
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