EACH WEEKDAY EVENING, TheJournal.ie brings you the five stories you need to know before you hit the road.

1. #APOLOGY The man who called President Higgins a “midget parasite” said he won’t be backing down from his comments, but did apologise for using the word midget. Taoiseach Enda Kenny said that the behaviour of certain water charge protesters was to be deplored.

2. #PARENTAL CONCERNS The school that cancelled a homophobic bullying workshop, Coláiste Eoin, says that the event will go ahead “at a future date”. It denied claims the workshop was “cancelled”.

3. #NEW ORLEANS An off-duty Garda was shot during an attempted mugging in New Orleans. He is being treated in hospital.

4. #WALKOUT All of the opposition TDs walked out of the Dáil today, after a row over the failure to hold a debate on a Commission of Investigation into allegations of malpractice by some gardaí in the border area.

5. #GOOD FRIDAY Publicans think we might be able to buy drink on Good Friday this year. That’s after two organisations held a “very positive” meeting with Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald on the issue.