BULLETIN: Prison Service spent €30k on surveillance; Fisherman found not guilty Cork man's murder in Perth

Here is Friday's lunchtime bulletin.

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IRELAND: The Irish Prison Service (IPS) paid nearly €30,000 to two private investigation firms, it has emerged, as an investigation continues into claims that officers were tracked and monitored during covert surveillance on the country’s prisons. However, we do not know what service they provided, writes Michael Clifford.

IRELAND: A fisherman has been found not guilty of murdering an Irish father-of-two in Australia.

IRELAND: Former garda jailed for two years for possessing child abuse images

BREXIT: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has dismissed reports that Ireland may be forced to comply with checks on exports to mainland Europe in the event of a Brexit no-deal.

WORLD: A flight from Glasgow Prestwick to Malaga had to be diverted after a fight is said to have broken out on board.

BUSINESS: Businesses should be examining gender balance in their workplace now in advance of the Gender Pay Gap Information Bill eventually comes into force advises Patrick Robertson, managing director of Performance Reward Consulting.

SPORT: French referees will take charge of the Irish provinces' Champions and Challenge Cup quarter-finals.

...SOME DISTRACTION

SHOWBIZ: Daniel O’Donnell superfans, The Wee Daniels take to the Ireland’s Got Talent stage

ARTS: Ed Power reviews Post Malone's Valentine's Day gig as the rapper kicked off his European tour.

VIRAL: A video of a Kerry farmer casually ordering a Big Mac meal from the McDonalds drive-thru with a calf in the backseat.