EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you nine things you need to know before 9am…

1. #BANK GUARANTEE: The government parties are likely to come in for fierce opposition criticism later today when they vote on extending the government’s bank guarantee for another year. Fine Gael and Labour are proposing to extend the guarantee until December 2012 – despite both of them having voted against a similar extension twelve months ago.

2. #HSE: Health minister James Reilly may order the HSE to continue paying travel and subsistence expenses to staff who were told earlier this week that they would not receive them for the rest of the year. Reilly has intervened after the HSE told staff it could not break its budget for the year – and that staff would not get the expenses to which they are usually entitled.

3. #NAMA: Three of Dublin’s best-known pubs may be sold in the coming months after they were included in NAMA’s latest list of enforcement properties. Cafe en Seine, The George and Howl at the Moon are all on the latest list of properties which NAMA now has control over.

4. #AGENCY WORKERS: Good news if you work for an employment agency: from Monday you will be entitled to the same pay and conditions as other full-time employees in your place of work, under a new EU directive. As the Irish Examiner explains, though, this is bad news for Richard Bruton – who had hoped to negotiate with the social partners to secure a delay before it comes in.

5. #SEPTIC TANKS: Homeowners are set to face yet another financial headache in the new year, after the Dáil last night passed legislation allowing for mandatory inspections of septic tanks. The legislation follows a European court case where Ireland was fined for not bringing in such legislation sooner, as was demanded by an EU directive. It is unclear what fees homeowners could be charged for the mandatory tank inspections.

6. #IRAN: It has been reported that Germany is following the UK by freezing its diplomatic relations with Iran – recalling its own ambassador from Tehran. The move would coincide with yesterday’s announcement from Britain’s foreign secretary William Hague that he was expelling Iranian diplomats from the UK after a protest at the UK’s own embassy in Tehran. France followed suit and said it would also recall its ambassador.

7. #EUROPE: It’s not been a brilliant few weeks for Gay Mitchell. Not only did the Dublin MEP fail in his bid to become President of Ireland – but now he’s lost out in the MEP of the Year awards. Mitchell was one of three MEPs shortlisted in the ‘Employment and Social Affairs’ category but lost out to French MEP Pervenche Berès. Fellow FG member Mairead McGuinness was named best MEP for Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

8. #MARKETS: Stock markets have responded very well to yesterday’s co-ordinated action by six major central banks to try and improve the flow of cash between the world’s banks. Hong Kong’s stock index is up by over 5 per cent today, while markets in Japan and China are also up. The euro has also gained.

9. #DUBLIN CASTLE: Finally this morning – what’s this? Have we been taken over by the British once more? Passers-by at Dublin Castle may well have been confused by the Union Jacks fluttering above Dublin Castle, the former seat of British power, in the last few days – but panic not; they’re just props for the new TV drama Titanic, which is being filmed on-site.

Photo: Nigel McArdle