EVERY DAY, TheJournal.ie brings you five things you need to know before you head out the door.

1. #CONSTITUENCIES: A report from the Constituency Commission set up the Environment Minister Phil Hogan has recommended that the Dáil lose eight seats and that a number of constituencies across the country be redrawn to reduce the number of deputies to 158. The shake-up means that some constituencies will be merged including in Kerry, Tipperary and Donegal. There will be 40 constituencies instead of 43 at the next election.

2. #CHILDREN: The Tánaiste has said that the government hopes to hold a standalone referendum on children’s rights later this year following the publication of a report into the deaths of 196 children in the care of or known to the State’s child protection services which was hugely critical of the HSE. Eamon Gilmore told the Dáil that the report was “shocking”.

3. #ULSTER BANK: Technical glitches with processing payments at Ulster Bank means that customers who have accounts with the institution potentially face a a 24-hour delay in receiving payments such as salary and social welfare. The bank said it wished to “apologise unreservedly” for the problems that have affected over 100,000 customers.

4. #EDUCATION: Parents across the country are to be polled on whether or not they wants schools in their area to be managed by the Catholic Church. Education Minister Ruairí Quinn has said that mothers and fathers of children in 44 areas around Ireland will be surveyed on their preference for primary school patronage.

5. #FOR FLIUCH’S SAKE: You may have noticed it’s raining outside and in most parts of the country (If not, then lucky you!)  so with that we thought it was important to give you seven things to cheer you up including free ice-cream and strawberries. It’s all here.