Five things you need to know today

1. Goal funds withheld pending US inquiry into alleged fraud

The Department of Foreign Affairs withheld millions of euro in funding from the aid agency Goalpending a US government inquiry into alleged fraud relating to humanitarian contracts for Syria.

The suspension affects about €6.2 million of the €113 million Goal receives from USAid.

2. Thousands of failed asylum-seekers are unaccounted for

More than one-third of the failed asylum-seekers the State decided to deport in the last 15 years are unaccounted for.And the true number of those whose whereabouts are unknown may be much higher than the official figures suggest, as the status of those who agreed to leave the State voluntarily before their deportation orders were executed was not checked to ensure they had left Ireland.

3. Dublin to gain nearly 1,900 student housing places

Almost 1,900 off-campus student accommodation places are due for completion in Dublin city centre by the start of the 2017 academic year, according to figures from Dublin City Council.

A number of developers have given notice to the council that they have started work on student housing projects which will be completed over the course of the coming year, yielding almost 1,300 more bedspaces.

4. Sugar tax will damage the Irish economy, group claims

A sugar tax of 10 cent on cans of soft drink will increase the average household's annual grocery bill by €60, but won't help tackle Ireland's obesity problem, said the Irish Beverage Council (IBC).

The group, which represents companies that sell sugary drinks in Ireland, has produced a report arguing sugar taxes do not achieve public-health objectives, and instead cause “economic damage to consumers, business and the Irish economy”.

5. Preschools issue warning over free childcare scheme

Preschools have warned that many of them may not be ready to provide the additional free childcare places required under Government plans due to capacity and recruitment challenges.

And finally... The very high price of being single. Conor Pope outlines how people in long-term relationships are likely to spend a lot less on everything from homes and holidays to gyms and income tax than single people.