5 things you need to know today

1. FG yet to reach agreement with Independents

Discussions between Fine Gael and the Independents concluded with no agreement on Wednesday. The two sides ended discussions after 10.30pm with further meetings planned for Thursday. But, some TDs have expressed concern they are being 'bounced' into an arrangement.  With one document agreed with their new partners in opposition, Fine Gael had hoped to circulate another agreed document to the Independent TDs at a meeting last night but, after a series of amendments were requested by the Independents, the paper was not ready in time.

2. Joan Burton likely to quit shortly as Labour leader

Labour TDs expect party leader Joan Burton to announce her resignation from the position when a new government is formed. Ms Burton previously indicated she intended to stay on, but a furious reaction within the party appears to have persuaded her to rethink. Sources in Labour said she realised she lacked the support from her colleagues to stay on. "She told us she would put the interests of the party first and make her decision clear after a government was formed," one TD said last night. The TD said it was the clear understanding of Labour colleagues that she would announce her resignation. "Reality has bitten," said another party source. "On the understanding that she is going, she is being allowed a grace period."

3. Garda concern for mother of dead baby in Bray

A postmortem will be carried out on Thursday on the body of a newborn baby girl found at a waste recycling centre near Bray, Co Wicklow. The body was discovered at about 11am on Wednesday at the recycling centre run by the waste collection company Greenstar at its facility in Fassaroe, near Bray.
It is not known if the baby was born alive and gardaí do not know the circumstances of her death. The baby was not clothed when found.

4. Polls open across Northern Ireland for Stormont elections

Polling stations opened at 7am in Northern Ireland on Thursday for the Stormont Assembly elections. There are 108 seats to be filled across 18 six-seat constituencies, with 276 candidates up for election. The Democratic Unionists and Sinn Féin are again likely to emerge as the two largest parties on their respective sides of the unionist/nationalist political divide after polls close at 10pm. DUP leader Arlene Foster  warned unionists against complacency and repeated that being the largest party and therefore entitled to the First Minister post was important.

5. 'Only God controls the weather', Danny Healy-Rae tells climate change debate

Independent Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae has said he does not agree with all the talk about climate change because only God controls the weather. "God above is in charge of the weather and we here can't do anything about it," he told the Dáil during a debate on climate change on Wednesday.
Mr Healy-Rae, who was elected to the Dáil for the first time in February, said there had been patterns of climate change going back over centuries, "before there was ever a combustible engine working in this or any other countries". Miriam Lord her take on it in a piece titled High emissions in heated debate on climate change.  'As Fine Gael hunts for Endapendents, Danny Healy-Rae is fuming about the carbon tax'

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