The majority of the country's public servants are on strike in an effort to maintain the more than 20% pay differential they enjoy over private sector workers. Further strikes are threatened should planned talks between the unions and the Government not result in the removal of threats to cut public sector pay rates.

The Government says that as a minimum it must cut €4bn from the 2010 Budget and that €1.3bn must come from cuts in the public sector pay bill. While the unions claim that there are alternatives to pay cuts they have yet to submit proposals as to how they believe €1.3bn in savings can be achieved.

Today's strike means that all schools are closed, 55,000 of those relying on social welfare will be paid one day late, hospitals are working to a Christmas Day schedule, 18,000 outpatient appointments have been cancelled and swine flu vaccine clinics are closed.

Not all of those on strike are on the picket lines; traffic jams are reported on the border crossing to Newry.

Flooding continues to disrupt travel

Further flooding is expected today, in particular along the banks of the Shannon in Limerick and Clare, and many roads in the west remain closed. Restrictions have been placed on 100 roads in Co. Galway, with the Headford Road the only route into the city from the north of the county and from Mayo, though motorists are meeting flooding at the Curragh Line about three miles from the city.

A number of people were evacuated from their houses in the Shannonbanks area of Limerick city last night, the Galway-Limerick road is closed between Oranmore and Gort, and drivers to Dublin from Galway will again be diverted onto the new M6, which has been opened on a temporary basis as the road through Ballinasloe remains impassable.

Meanwhile food businesses in Cork are being hit by the lack of potable water but have been told they can remain open on condition that they use either bottled or boiled water in food preparation.

Two killed in Donegal crash

Two Lithuanian nationals in their 30s, who have not yet been formally identified, were killed in a collision with another car north of Stranorlar in Co. Donegal yesterday afternoon. The couple in the other car, Laurence and Bernadette Slowey, are in Letterkenny Hospital where Mr Slowey is described as stable while his wife is in a critical condition.

Priest jailed for five years

Fr Michael Molloy (44), former chaplain at Cavan General Hospital, was jailed for five years yesterday after he pleaded guilty to two sample charges of defilement of a teenage boy and one of possession of child pornography. The offences took place in a parochial house in 2006 and 2007 when the victim was in his early teens.

Also yesterday former boxing coach Frank Mulligan (64), from Smithboro in Co. Monaghan, pleaded guilty to the buggery of three boys and sexual assault and indecent assault of two others on dates between 1989 and 2002. Reports suggest that Mulligan was once one of the country's most successful amateur boxing coaches but is now ostracised throughout Co. Monaghan. Sentencing was adjourned until December 1.

Aircraft diverted to Shannon

When a woman passenger on a flight from JFK International Airport in New York to London Heathrow complained of being unwell, the British Airways flight sought permission to land at Shannon. The aircraft was met by an ambulance and paramedics and the woman was transferred to hospital in Limerick. After a delay of one and a half hours the flight continued to London.

Tuesday's Papers

The Irish Independent stays with the effects of the flooding, with “Cowan joins country in that sinking feeling”. The Irish Examiner and the Irish Times prefer to focus on today's industrial action by public sector workers with the headlines “Crunch talks bid to avert further strikes” and  “Union chiefs expect up to 250,000 workers to strike today”, respectively.

The Irish News carries a front-page story about a charity set up by Sinead O'Hagan in memory of her son, Shane Paul, who died in a car crash two years ago. The headline reads "Bereaved mother helps car crash survivor to 'speak' again".

The Weather in Galway

It is grey, it is wet, it is very, very windy, so no change there. Temperature 12C

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