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GOOD MORNING

The 9 at 9 Nine things you really need to know by 9am: AIB hands out €40 million in bonuses, election goes on the long finger and the Taoiseach uses the s-word.

Every morning, TheJournal.ie brings you nine things you really need to know with your bowl of cornflakes.

1. #BUDGET11: The Dail is to vote on the social welfare cuts contained in the Budget today. Some of the Opposition are calling for backbenchers to reject cuts to blind people, widows, carers and people with disabilities.  There is concern amongst groups representing those with disabilities after Éamon Ó Cuív suggested that a system of staggered disability benefit might be introduced.

2. #AIB: AIB is to pay €40 million in bonuses to 2,400 of its staff next week, following legal action by a trader over the delayed payment of his bonus. The news comes as the bank is on the brink of receiving yet another emergency bailout from the government.

3. #ELECTION The election we were promised in January might now be delayed…until March, the Irish Times reports.

4. #SNOWWATCH After a night with temperatures as low as minus 9, there’s no sign of the promised big thaw. In fact, Met Eireann is warning that there could be a return to freezing conditions next week. Water was cut off across Dublin city and county again last night, and will be cut again tonight. Restaurant owners have warned that they may be forced to close if the cuts continue.

5. #ROADS Two men were killed when their high-powered stolen car crashed off an icy road into a tree as they attempted to escape from a garda patrol car.

6. #CHILDREN The Health Service Executive (HSE) has launched an investigation after two hungry children were found scavenging in bins in Waterford city centre, the Examiner reports. The two five-year-olds were found rooting through a bin on High Street by a local social worker.

7. #CHILDREN Meanwhile, the Irish Times reports that the HSE has revised upwards the number of children and young adults who died in State care, or while they were known to social services to 199 – that’s 11 more than it admitted in June .

8. #BAILOUT Britain’s €3.87 billion loan to Ireland, which is to come before the House of Commons today, will be reviewed every six months. The Guardian reports that the loan will be capped.  However, the Daily Mail reports that the cost to British taxpayers will exceed initial estimates and could rise to €8.3 billion. The paper adds that Britain would charge Ireland an interest rate on the loan of between 5.7 per cent, the rate at which the IMF and the EU are charging, and 6.05 per cent, the interest rate imposed by a separate Eurozone-only fund.

9. #SORRY At last – it’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for. The Taoiseach has told RTE he is “extremely sorry” for the situation the country finds itself in.

And so in tribute, we thought we would replay this TheJournal.ie favourite:

This video comes to you courtesy of Tiger Reborn.

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