EVERY WEEKDAY evening, TheJournal.ie brings you the five things you should know by 5pm.

1. #PUBLIC SECTOR: The Government has scrapped decentralisation plans and revealed that more than 23,000 public sector jobs are to go by 2015. These measures, as well as a number of proposed mergers, were unveiled in its public sector reform announcement today.

Plus, check out who the civil service has actually been hiring this year.

2.  #VAT: The Government intends to increase the VAT rate by two per cent in the upcoming budget, according to reports. Although the Department of Finance insists no decisions have been finalised, a document shown to the German parliament says the move will generate €670 million in revenue.

3. #PRIORY HALL: Thomas McFeely, the property developer behind the ill-fated Priory Hall apartments, has been jailed for three months and fined €1 million after the High Court ruled he failed to comply with an order to remedy the fire safety risks at the Donaghmede complex.

4. #BLA-BLA-BLATTER: The Twitter spat between Manchester United footballer Rio Ferdinand and Sepp Blatter has continued today as FIFA tried to backtrack on comments its president made about racism in football. However, the organisation’s use of a photo of the 75-year-old embracing a black man, later identified as anti-apartheid activist, only served to further exasperate the English defender.

Ferdinand’s last word on the matter was to tell Blatter he was ignorant on the subject and stamping out racism on the football pitch could lead to its eradication in society.

5. #WORTH A SHOT: Sticking with the football theme, Deputy Mick Wallace has asked the government to rearrange the 2012 Dáil summer break so TDs can watch the European Championships. His request was met with bemusement from the Tánaiste but the Opposition TD defended his idea, stating that productivity would not be “as high as normal during the football”.