EVERY WEEKDAY EVENING, TheJournal.ie brings you the five stories you need to know before you head out the door.

1. #PAYMENTS Rehab chief Angela Kerins has defended her €240,000 annual salary during a Public Accounts Committee hearing. She told them she is a private citizen, and is not paid by the taxpayer – and could not tell PAC why she was given a €6,000 pay increase.

2. #TENSIONS Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said that the Irish government knew about the Hyde Park bomb deal, which led to suspect John Downey walking free from court. The ruling centred around letters given to IRA suspects that guaranteed they wouldn’t be prosecuted.

3. #REJECTION Irish Rail workers have rejected a payroll-cutting plan by 71 per cent to 29 per cent in a vote today. Transport Minister Leo Varadkar said he is “disappointed” and stressed that no further cash was available for Irish Rail.

4. #STOLEN ‘Irreplaceable’ photographs were on 20 laptops that were stolen from a Dublin primary school during a burglary last night. The school’s Board of Management and Principal wrote to parents today and CCTV is being viewed by investigating officers.

5. #AER LINGUS Trade union SIPTU has served notice of industrial action at Aer Lingus and Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports. It says this “followed the refusal of the companies to engage in meaningful talks” or present “fair proposals” during recent discussions.