EA Games – one of the biggest gaming companies in the world – is to create 300 jobs in Galway.

The Taoiseach and Jobs Minister are to make the announcement this afternoon.

It is part of an investment that will be supported by the IDA.

EA Games makes ‘Medal of Honour’ and ‘Rock Band’.

It was also the owner of PopCap games in Dublin which closed last month with the loss of 96 jobs.

The company already employs a substantial number of people here.

Newstalk’s Business Editor Ian Guider says the computer gaming sector is set to benefit from the investment.

“This has been an industry targeted by the government in the last couple of years – they have various supports for the gaming sector here” he said.

“It is also is very important, because of course last month, we had one of the games industry’s biggest names – PopCap – announce that it was closing its Irish office with the loss of 100 jobs”.

“That was a problem with the company – nothing to do with Ireland”.

“So today’s announcement is a huge boost” he added.

Staff at Bord na Mona have been informed of changes at the company on the back of a record poor peat harvest this year.

105 seasonal workers are to be laid off for the winter months.

A number of full time employees will be redeployed within the company.

While 90 office-based workers are facing a cut in their working hours.

Bord na Mona says the peat harvest is running at 37% of what was expected for 2012.

The Taoiseach says the government will strongly defend the Health Minister when the Opposition tables a motion of ‘no confidence’ in him in the Dáil later.

The motion comes following controversy over health cutbacks announced in recent weeks.

The cuts have come under fire from some members of the Labour party.

But Enda Kenny says the government is fully behind Minister James Reilly.

“It’s entirely a matter for any party to use their private members’ time” he said.

“Minister Reilly will be defended very strongly by the government” he added.

The wording of the long awaited children’s rights referendum is due to be agreed at the Cabinet meeting today.

The Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald is to brief her colleagues at Government Buildings on the final proposals.

Leading campaigners are calling for sufficient time for debate ahead of the vote which is expected in November.

The Chief Executive of children’s charity Barnardos is Fergus Finlay.

He says the holding of the referendum cannot come soon enough.

“We’ll have a roughly a 2-month timescale” he said.

“If it’s tighter than that, than maybe people will have a right to be concerned”.

“But I think a month in the Oireachtas and a month out being debated by the people is more than (enough) time”.

“We all know the elements, we all know the principles – they’ve been published and debated”.

“Indeed this referendum has been demanded for 30 years”.

“So it can’t come soon enough, as far as I’m concerned” he added.

A French court has granted an injunction stopping further publication of topless images of Kate Middleton.

It has ordered Closer magazine to hand over the photos within 24 hours.

Lawyers also asked the judge to decide whether the editor and photographer should face criminal charges.

Newstalk’s Jack Quann has more.