The Healy-Rae Independent TDs have questioned how Sinn Féin election promises will be paid for by after meeting the party's negotiators for government formation talks.

Another young Kerry star is heading down under, according to reports.

Fianna Fáil is back down to just one candidate in Limerick County after Cllr Eddie Ryan withdrew from the ticket - just twelve hours after he was added.

Fine Gael party leadership had to intervene to quell a candidate selection row in Cork South-West.

Sinn Féin councillor Thomas Gould is set to be announced as the party's candidate in Cork North-Central.

The 66-year-old Independent TD made the announcement as Taoiseach Leo Varadkar prepares to meet the President to formally ask that the 32nd Dáil be dissolved

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is snookered. The days of the coalition have come to an end. Power is ebbing away, and time is running out.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has ruled out calling a pre-Christmas snap general election despite a number of Fine Gael ministers insisting he should go to the polls now.

Fine Gael holds a four-point lead over Fianna Fáil as talk of a November General Election has escalated, a new opinion poll reveals.

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has severely criticised Independent TD Joan Collins' foul-mouth outburst in the Dáil, branding it as a “vacuous and empty” stunt.

Media in Britain have been scrambling to react to the news that Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s prorogation of Parliament was deemed unlawful.

Environment Minister Richard Bruton has called on Independent TD Noel Grealish to withdraw inappropriate remarks about African immigrants sponging off the State.

The Government has been warned its Climate Action Plan will hurt rural Ireland and stop families buying tractors and burning turf.

President Michael D Higgins has lashed out at Donald Trump’s “regressive and pernicious” record on climate change as he arrives in Ireland today.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has told a private meeting of Fine Gael TDs that an internal review to “establish the facts” in the Maria Bailey saga will take two weeks.

The extraordinary performance of the Healy-Rae siblings was the story of the weekend at the count centre in Killarney, where Johnny headed up Kenmare and Maura won Killarney minutes later.

European election candidates had spent almost €60,000 combined on Facebook advertising up to last Sunday, figures made available by the social media giant have revealed.

Clare Daly believes that the EU is a neo-liberal body protecting big business — her bid for Europe intends to change all that. Juno McEnroe follows her on the campaign trail in Inchicore.

The justice system and reformers must work hand in glove to restore the public’s trust after years of scandals, writes Donncha O’Connell

Sports Minister Shane Ross says he expects to receive Sport Ireland's report on the Football Association of Ireland and governance concerns later this week.

Road safety campaigner Aisling Reid of PARC has said that Independent Alliance Minister of State Finian McGrath should resign.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has been accused of disrespecting nurses and patients by issuing “cynical” press releases instead of directly engaging with unions.

"I think it's disappointing that he has said what he's said and elaborated on that"

Future increases in school budgets should be linked to enforcing the voluntary nature of any contributions from families to running costs, Fianna Fáil’s education spokesman has said.

Independent Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae has admitted he did doze off at Croke Park, but insisted it was only for a couple of minutes.

Your lunchtime bulletin...

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has called on Sinn Féin to take up its seats in Westminster given that the political situation is now on a “knife-edge”.

Independents are moving closer to securing the required numbers to get a candidate into the field for a potential presidential race to challenge Michael D Higgins.

“It is a sad day for rural Ireland,” boomed a defiant Danny Healy Rae.

Fears have again been expressed about the safety of the foundations of St Mary’s Cathedral in Killarney due to a build-up of silt in the Kerry town’s River Deenagh.

Tony O’Brien, the embattled director general of the Health Service Executive last night bowed to mounting political pressure over the smear test scandal and resigned.

Independent Alliance TD Sean Canney is working to hammer out a separate deal with the Taoiseach to remain in Government as an Independent, it is understood.

Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran has won a fight to keep his ministerial post after a power struggle with Independent Alliance colleague Sean Canney over who should be the junior minister.

There was a time when, as a journalist, you were almost afraid to say Denis O’Brien’s name out loud given his penchant for taking people to court, writes Alison O’Connor

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was “blindsided” by several of his ministers yesterday in the Cabinet after they called for the strategic communications unit (SCU) to be kept.

Tánaiste Simon Coveney and other ministers expressed deep concerns as to the proposed legalising of abortions up to the 12th week of pregnancy during a four-hour Cabinet meeting.

Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone has put Fianna Fáil and other opposition parties on red alert by saying she will be “pragmatic” and cut a deal with any party that has enough seats to form a government after the next general election.

A major spat has broken out between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael county councillors as the fall-out over the proposed agreement on Cork City’s boundary extension continues.

Former Fianna Fáil senator John Hanafin and a handful of Independent TDs have held talks about setting up a new political party before the next general election.

Independent off-licences breathed a sigh of relief when the Minister for Finance opted not to increase excise duty on alcohol. 

Ministers have urged the Church to leave clinical debates to the experts after one bishop claimed that the HPV cervical cancer vaccine is only “70%” safe.

The Labour Party has said it would back and campaign for Michael D Higgins if he was to seek a second term as President.

Disabilities Minister Finian McGrath has been left isolated by an Independent Alliance colleague after remarks that have sparked an unprecedented public row and split among the government grouping.

Opposition plans to ban non-recyclable plastic cutlery by 2020 and pay people to hand in plastic bottles have been backed by the Dáil — despite government concerns the €276m annual extra cost will create another PPARS.

The Government plans to drive through legislation for the new judicial appointments system and does not expect to make any amendments despite calls for changes from top judges and opposition parties.

Former justice minister Michael McDowell has attacked Transport Minister Shane Ross, claiming his desire to reform how judges are appointed stems from a “personal agenda”.

The Garda Ombudsman has received a surge in garda whistleblower complaints this year, with 13 disclosures to date in 2017 compared to 11 over the previous three years.