The Cabinet is also expected to approve a financial package including counselling and healthcare treatment for the one thousand surviving women who spent time in the laundries.

Earlier this month a report said there is clear evidence of state involvement in the running of the laundries, and said many of the women who spent time there were sent there by institutions of the state.

However the government is anxious to avoid creating a scheme which would involve hefty legal bills for the state.

Stephen O Riordan from Survivors Together group says two packages of compensation should be offered to the women.

Court hears Pistorius put on his prosthetic legs and walked seven metres to bathroom before shooting his girlfriend

South African sporting hero Oscar Pistorius broke down in court on Tuesday as he was accused of shooting his model girlfriend three times through a locked bathroom door in what prosecutors said was a "premeditated" Valentine's Day murder.

The double-amputee Olympian and Paralympian "Blade Runner" is seeking bail at the hearing which is expected to reveal more about what happened the night his covergirl law graduate lover Reeva Steenkamp was killed.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel told the Pretoria magistrate's court that Pistoris armed himself, put on his prosthesis, walked seven metres and fired three shots through a locked bathroom door at Steenkamp, saying this showed premeditation on the part of the star athlete.

The 26-year-old defendant, making his second court appearance over the killing.

Public sector urged to bombard TD's about pay cuts

More than 4,000 frontline workers turned out at a rally in Dublin last night to outline their opposition to a proposed 10.6% cut

The public sector workers were urged to bombard Senators, TDs and Ministers to object to proposed pay cuts.

It's part of government plans to cut another billion euro from the public sector pay bill.

Nurses boss Liam Doran says they have to now take the fight to the politicians.

Senior gardai are also set to escalate their protest against pay cuts that have been proposed as part of a revised Croke Park Agreement.

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors has already withdrawn from talks on the new deal, saying it could not accept the measures that were on the table.

The Association said sergeants and inspectors would withdraw some of the services they provide and are not paid for.

The General Secretary of the AGSI, John Redmond says gardai cannot afford to give up any more of their pay and are living on the bread line.

Gardai are appealing for witnesses following a fatal road accident in Wexford yesterday

A 40 year old male cyclist was killed instantly after he was struck by a car on the N30 in Clonroche in Enniscorthy just before 4 o'clock.

His body was removed to Wexford General Hospital a short time later.

The male driver - aged in his early 20s - along with three passengers were uninjured.

A technical examination of the scene was carried out by Garda forensic collision investigators.

Nestle pull products after finding horse DNA in them

They are the latest company to be affected by the horse meat scandal

Nestle says it's suspending deliveries supplied by a German firm after finding traces of horse DNA in its products.

The company's pulling two chilled pasta products from sale in Italy and Spain - and is apologising to customers.

It comes as Lidl pulls ready-made meals from the shelves of its Finnish, Danish and Swedish stores after tests confirmed the presence of horsemeat.

It's the first time the Europe-wide scandal of horsemeat sold as beef has hit Finland and Denmark.

Several Swedish supermarket chains have already pulled lasagne dishes from their shelves.