Primary care centres cannot be upgraded to house improved medical services for 25 years because of botched government contracts, a minister has claimed.

The Government cannot give any commitment on when a new online safety commissioner will be appointed.

Minister Harris came out on the right end of a 58-53 vote after Sinn Féins motion of no confidence failed.

In a recent compelling but largely ignored speech, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe made a strong claim to the political centre ground, heralding, in his view, the rise of the moderate.

With less than three weeks to Budget 2019, the pressure on the Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, is intensifying.

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan says he wants more garda feet on the street, to double the number of civilian members, and that “reform needs to be embraced” across the force.

Days before the last general election, the man who would be minister for climate action, Denis Naughten, told RTÉ Radio’s Late Debate that when he was out canvassing, no-one on the doorsteps was asking about climate change.

Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy is downplaying homeless figures and continues attempts to demonise homeless people by some state agencies.

Former Minister of State and Fianna Fail TD, Seán Calleary has passed away aged 86.

A minister has intervened in a bid to save a village post office in West Cork after the widow of the postmaster was informed just days after his funeral it would be closed.

EIB to provide €490m for construction of facility as health minster says it’s ‘unlikely’ to be named Phoenix.

New laws aimed at tackling precarious, insecure work “entirely dodges” dealing with “if and when” contracts which are considered to be among the most exploitative.

Mark McDonald, the SNP minister for childcare and early years, apologised "to anyone I have upset" as he stepped down from the role.

An expenses loophole which allowed cabinet ministers to claim an extra €2,000 a year in tax-free mileage has been closed by the government.

As Leo Varadkar and Shane Ross are quickly learning, it’s easier to grumble about a train’s location while waiting on the platform than to be responsible for getting it there in the first place.

On arriving outside the Ludgate Hub in Skibbereen, Co Cork, Minister Michael Ring was told that he’d brought the sunny weather with him. “We have it 52 weeks a year, so we have,” came the instant reply.

Back in 1967, on April 11 to be precise, the then minister for finance delivered a very long and very remarkable budget speech. 

The trebling of commercial stamp duty to help foot the budget was necessary or personal taxes instead would be hiked up in future crises, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has warned.

Transport Minister Shane Ross says the mass cancellation of flights by Ryanair was totally unacceptable for passengers and “should have been foreseen”.

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe is to hold face-to-face meetings with his Fianna Fáil counterparts, Michael McGrath and Dara Calleary, today ahead of the budget.

With just over a fortnight to go an annual piece of Dáil theatre is already taking shape. Budget day used to be shrouded in secrecy; not any longer. 

I was very pleased to hear that the minster for housing is to allow the reintroduction of bedsitters.

A minister has admitted “confidence is eroding” in the gardaí following the latest revelations that a further 500,000 breath tests were false.

The power of trade unions in the health sector is the greatest barrier to reform and progress, newly appointed minister for state at the Department of Health Jim Daly has said.

Ireland must still prepare for a hard border with customs checks, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has warned.

The phrase ‘on your bike’ is not something any politician is ever too keen to hear, but for the next few weeks Fine Gael TD Brendan Griffin will be happy to make an exception to the usual rule.

Bold initiatives which may involve beefed-up powers for the new housing minister are being considered to free up the vast level of vacant housing stock and sites around the country.

Health Minister Simon Harris will today discuss the cross-party report on healthcare with Cabinet colleagues and update them on Ireland’s bid to lure the European Medicines Agency here.

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has said Ireland will not sign off on Brexit unless the Good Friday Agreement is fully protected.

The head of the country’s budget watchdog said the next finance minister has little to spend in October’s budget if Ireland wants to keep with the EU oversight rules.

In some ways, the controversy over the ownership of the new maternity hospital is the most bizarre I’ve ever come across. And the reason is simple. We don’t know enough about it to make a judgement. In fact, we don’t know anything.

The Finance Minister has launched an unprecedented attack on the Public Accounts Committee - accusing it of 'conjuring up' unfounded criticisms of him.

The Government has lost a key vote on a Fianna Fáil motion to create a Brexit minister, putting it under increased pressure to appoint an individual to the role in the coming weeks.

Politicians and others in high-profile positions should take legal action against people abusing them online, according to Sports Minister Patrick O’Donovan, insisting the criticism they face is tantamount to “thuggery”.

Up to 40% of Ireland’s multi-billion-euro farming and fishing export markets are at risk in a worst-case Brexit fallout scenario, warns Agriculture Minister Michael Creed, writes Fiachra Ó Cionnaith.

Former Health Minister James Reilly says the ability of the current Minister to overrule a recommendation to not pay for a ground-breaking Cystic Fibroses drug is 'a dangerous place to be'.

Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern says there needs to be a dedicated minister to deal with Brexit.

Germany's economy minister says free trade talks between the European Union (EU) and the US have failed.

Striking miners in Bolivia have kidnapped and beaten to death the country's deputy interior minister after he travelled to the area to mediate in the bitter conflict, government colleagues have said.

Housing Minister Simon Coveney has admitted a Fine Gael leadership race is likely "in the not too distant future", despite insisting the issue should not distract Government from existing work, writes political reporter Fiachra Ó Cionnaith.

The Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae is coming under fire in Kerry for not pursuing an early offer of a senior ministry; and there is criticism also that the Healy-Rae team — who voted different ways on Friday — did not secure a specific deal for Kerry.

A union representing psychiatric nurses is calling for the establishment of a dedicated minister for mental health, and says the government strategy for delivering better services fails to implement key elements of its plan — 10 years since its launch.

Iceland's fisheries minister says the president has approved a proposal that makes him Iceland's new prime minister.

Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae has declined to rule himself out of becoming rural affairs minister in the next government, after revealing both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have committed to creating the “senior” cabinet role.