EVERY WEEKDAY EVENING, TheJournal.ie brings you five things you should know before you head out the door…

1. #BUDGET 2012: Finance Minister Michael Noonan has admitted that the estimated €670 million return from his proposal to increase the VAT rate by two per cent in the Budget did not allow for the fact that it could lead to lower consumer sales. Meanwhile, the Irish Tax Institute has warned that the economy is near a “tipping point” where increases in taxes would do more harm than good.

2. #CIARÁN NOONAN: A man in his 30s has been charged in connection with the murder of Ciarán Noonan and he will appear at the Central Criminal Court later today. He was the 10th person to be arrested in connection with the death of the 29-year-old Dublin man.

3. #NEW BOOK: Travellers’ group Pavee Point has expressed its disappointment about a new book written by a Cork taxi driver in which he uses the term ‘knackers’. The driver has refused to apologise for his policy to not allow members of the Traveller community to use his car.

4. #LIFE ON MARS: NASA is preparing to launch an unmanned mission to Mars tomorrow which will test if the planet ever supported life. A wheeled robot named Curiosity, complete with a laser and other scientific instruments, will land in about eight months time with the aid of a crane and parachutes.

5. #STAMPS: What do Anne Doyle, Gay Byrne and Emma O’Driscoll have in common (besides being RTÉ television stars)? The three presenters now feature on special stamps issued by An Post to mark the national broadcaster’s 50th anniversary. TheJournal.ie poll today asks which other TV presenter – of RTÉ fame – would you like to see adorn a postage stamp?