Survivors of the Magdalene laundries are being invited to contact the government from today, with expressions of interest in a special fund set to help them.
It comes after the Taoiseach delivered an emotional apology in the Dail last night, in which he described the laundries as a "national shame" and he said the government wanted to respond with compassion.
Judge John Quirke has been appointed to devise a package of supports for the women over the next three months.
This morning, survivor Mary Condon said they still want an apology from the religious orders and those hotels and hospitals they worked for during their time in the laundries.
Proposed child benefit cuts will be unveiled later today
The report, which was ordered by the Social Protection Minister, looks at ways of reducing the cost of child benefit to the State.
This report, compiled by the Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare, has been widely leaked to the media.
Among the measures it's understood to include are a proposal to cut the base monthly rate of child benefit by €20 to €110. However, this could be supplemented by top ups for low income families.
Other options the group looked at to cut spending on child benefit were means testing, which it does not favour - and taxing the payment, which the report does not rule out.
That would mean reducing the payment by 20% or 41%, in line with the tax rates.
Child benefit is paid to around half a million households in Ireland - regardless of their income and the Social Protection Minister Joan Burton has said she wants it to remain a universal payment.
This is something the expert group reportedly agrees with.
However, there is likely to be backlash from middle income families who would have the most to lose whether the government opts to tax the payment or if it choses to cut the basic child benefit rate - which has already been cut by €36 a month in the past 3 years.
Oscar Pistorius has arrived for the second day of his bail hearing in Pretoria
He had a blanket over his head as he was driven up to the court house in a police car.
Prosecutors also claim witnesses heard "non-stop shouting" coming from Oscar Pistorius' home before shots were fired.
They're laying out why they think the Olympic sprinter murdered his girlfriend at his bail hearing.
The police investigator says he also wants Pistorius to face additional charges for an unlicensed handgun found at his home, and warned he could be a flight risk.
Hundreds of mourners are expected to atttend the funeral of murdered mother of three
Olivia Dunlea O'Brien was found by firefighters early on Sunday morning after they brought a fire at her home in Pembroke Crescent in Passage West under control.
A post-mortem examination revealed that the mother of three had been stabbed.
The funeral is taking place at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Ballinlough at 11am before burial at St Catherine's Cemetery in Kilcullly.
Meanwhile a 36 year old man is due to appear in court by video link tomorrow having been charged yesterday with Ms Dunlea O'Brien's murder.
Darren Murphy from Dan Desmond Villas, Passage West was charged with murdering Ms Dunlea o'Brien at her home at Pembroke Crescent in Passage on February 17th.
Gardaí will be cracking down on motorists with broken or missing lights this week
It's all part of a joint initiative by the RSA and the Gardaí called Light Up.
One headlight on a car could be mistaken for a motorcycle or make it impossible to see a pedestrian out walking.
Drivers without the correct lighting will be tragetted and given a fine.
Assistant Commissioner Phillips continued: “We continually receive complaints about people using fog lights on the front of their vehicles and fog lamps on the rear when there is no fog or falling snow. They are non directional and are much brighter than other lights and lamps on your vehicle thereby dazzling and distracting other drivers. It’s a simple choice. Please take note of the date of this operation, remedy your defect, turn off your fog lights and lamps or you risk prosecution."
