Every afternoon TheJournal.ie brings you 5 things you really, really need to know by 5pm.

1. #LEGAL FEES: The auditor and comptroller general has released his annual report, which shows that the State has spent €24.35bn in total on the banking crisis – including €34m in legal fees for advice it received on how to handle the crisis. The Opposition has condemned the amount spent, asking how such expensive advice could have been wrong.

Unsurprisingly, about half of the banking bill is accounted for by Anglo Irish Bank – and a further €10bn in promissory notes issued to it fell outside the period being reviewed. Great.

2. #CATHOLIC CHURCH: Priests from the Diocese of Ferns are being asked to pay €1,000 each to the diocese in order to try and foot the diocese’s €1m in outstanding legal fees. The diocese has been short on funds since paying out €8.1m in compensation over 48 abuse cases.

3. #MORTGAGES: The Central Bank says the country’s five biggest mortgage lenders are complying with guidelines advising them on how to help mortgage holders pay their way out of arrears.

4. #SMARTPHONES: HTC have unveiled two swanky looking new handsets designed to try and topple the iPhone from the top of the market. The new phones come with a system that allows users to page their mislaid phones from the web – even if they’re on silent.

5. #MURDER: A woman has appeared in court in Westmeath charged with the 2008 murder of Lillian Scanlon. Agnes McCarthy (54) was arrested in the town last night and made no reply when the charges were read to her. She will appear in court again on October 13.