The woman's body was found following a house fire at her home in Co Cork yesterday

Detectives arrested the man at 11 o'clock last night for questioning about the murder of 36 year Olivia Dunlea O'Brien at her home in Pembroke Crescent in Passage West.

Gardai initially believed she died following a fire at her home - however a post mortem revealed she died as a result of stab wounds.

Last nights arrest came after Gardai upgraded their inquiry from one of suspicious death to murder following receipt of post-mortem results.

Ms Dunlea O Brien was separated and her three children, two boys and a girl, were staying with their father when she was fatally assaulted and the house set alight.

Gardai are expected to begin questioning a 35 year old man in connection with her death this morning.

 

"We'll fight for fair deal" say unions on Croke Park extension

Front line public servants are to hold a rally in protest at the proposed cuts later this evening.

Talks on the possible extension to the Croke park agreement will resume this morning.

It comes as the Govenment and Unions try to hammer out an agreement on public service pay and conditions.

The Department of Expenditure is looking to cut €1 billion from the pay and pensions bill through cuts to wages, overtime and premium payments and through the implementation of longer working hours.

Liam Doran from the Irish Nursing Organisation says recent talks have, if anything, solidified their position.

Meanwhile, front line public servants are to hold a rally in protest at the proposed cuts later this evening.

Members are to gather in Tallaght in Dublin to register their concerns.

The rally comes as rank-and-file gardaí announce they will refuse to use their own cars, phones and laptops for official duty from next Friday.

 

Child poverty worsens in Ireland thanks to December Budget

A new report has found worsening conditions are connected to cutbacks in the last Budget

A new 'report card' has given the government an F grade in child poverty - and it says it's getting worse.

The report by the Children's Rights Alliance - a coalition of more than 100 organisations - gave the government an overall C grade for protecting children - down from a C plus last year.

Tanya Ward from the Alliance says the worst performing areas were child poverty and health, because of the delay in the Children's Hospital and primary health care centres.

The report says the constitutional rights of children have improved, after the Children's Referendum was passed last November. But, Tanya Ward says overall more children have been plunged into poverty in the past year.

 

Child benefit cuts may be on the way

The Children's Rights Alliance is also criticising the government over a report which recommmends cuts to child benefit.

The Mangan Report which will be brought to Cabinet for discussion tomorrow recommends the government introduce a tax on child benefit or implement a two tier system.

Yesterday The Social Protection Minister indicated her preferred option would be to tax the allowance in a bid to slash €345 million per year of the social welfare bill.

Jillian Van Turnhout of the Children's Right's Alliance says people are still coming to terms with cuts in Decembers budget.

 

Oscar Pistorius won't be competing in any races in order to focus on murder charge

The Olympic and paralympic star Oscar Pistorius won't be competing in any races that he'd been due to take part in, in order to focus on the murder charge against him.

Mr Pistorius is being held by police following the fatal shooting of his girlfriend at his home last week.

He's due to apply for bail at a hearing tomorrow.