A Donegal family cannot move into their dream home after Irish Water demanded more than €66,000 to install a water connection at their home.

New figures released by the Courts Service show that Judge Cormac Dunne received the highest expense payments of any judge in 2018.

It is after it was revealed Sinn Féin no longer enforces its policy that elected representatives should take the average wage.

People are being urged to claim tax relief on medical expenses.

A junior minister receives a €94,535 TD salary and a ministerial payment of up to €35,319, pushing their payment levels up to €129,854.

Efforts by junior ministers to claim more expenses to cover hotel costs have been deemed “bananas” in the run-up to a possible snap general election.

The President says he will return some €200,000 in unspent allowances to the Exchequer at the end of his seven-year term.

President’s security and car to be exempted from campaign costs

Dozens of examples of bad practice flagged by probe of expenses paid to community healthcare staff.

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.

Two out of three people underestimate the cost of funerals, even though most realise they are not cheap.

A key issue for our economy for the next decade is that of housing. There are reportedly 7,000 homeless people on our streets and there are tens of thousands of others living in highly expensive glorified squats.

A “black hole” of more than €200m to cover the cost of the ongoing suspension of water charges and other related water costs will have to be prioritised in October’s budget ahead of other spending demands, the Irish Examiner can reveal.

RTÉ is standing over an investigation on spending and governance at third-level colleges as it prepares responses to complaints from two universities.

Fine Gael’s general secretary has warned TDs and senators to “get your act together” and not repeat the “embarrassing” election expenses mistakes which saw deputy leader James Reilly referred to gardaí by the State watchdog.

The Government spent more than €25,000 on the visit of US Vice President Joe Biden earlier this year.

It is reported that Chicago-based Senator Billy Lawless will claim the maximum travel expenses to take up his seat.

Former Console boss Paul Kelly and his wife and son spent almost €500,000 on designer clothes, foreign trips, groceries, and other expenses between 2012 and 2014, an RTÉ investigation has claimed.

An ex-Fianna Fail politician and Minster of State who admitted fraudulently claiming €4,207.45 in expenses from the Oireachtas on forged mobile phone invoices, has withdrawn his appeal against sentence.

The Government has being urged to introduce rent controls in an effort to stabilise the market.

A raft of everyday household expenses, including private landlord rents, public transport, and college registration fees, are soaring above the price levels reached during the boom years, official figures show.

TDs and senators claimed over €61,000 on food, drink, taxis, and entertainment while outside Ireland on official parliamentary business last year

Join the Oireachtas and see the world… new figures show that the spend by TDs and senators on overseas travel last year increased from €218,799 to €230,313.

The HSE has been criticised by the Government spending watchdog for excessive spending on hotels.

The post may be on borrowed time, but Court Criers last year continued to occupy the top three rankings of those in the Court Service claiming the highest expenses.