THE ding-dong between the media and politics has been going on for nearly three weeks now, since Pat Rabbitte asked the question on Newstalk, “Where is this constant denigration of politics leading to?”

SENATOR David Norris is not by any means the first politician to ask for clemency for a rapist but he is certainly the first to have to put ambitions to become President of Ireland aside because he did so.

Fine Gael's deputy director of elections Frank Flannery has said that if this morning's Millward Brown Lansdowne exit poll is accurate the election will mark an historic occasion.

Tony Killeen: Fianna Fáil

THE Ennis General Hospital bed numbers were reduced from 125 to 88 in 1988 under the Fianna Fáil Government. There followed a period of further removals of ancillary services.

Former Defence Minister Tony Killeen believes passing the Finance Bill by Friday would be "very difficult but attainable".

Here is a timeline of some the major events in the life of the Fianna Fáil-Green coalition:

IN politics, as in life, one does not make friends by insulting people.

Embattled Taoiseach Brian Cowen defied his critics today and said he will lead his party into the March General Election and beyond.

Micheál Martin, who unsuccessfully challenged Taoiseach Brian Cowen's leadership of Fianna Fáil, has now urged his party representatives to rethink Mr Cowen's leadership.

GREEN Party leader John Gormley has strongly disputed Taoiseach Brian Cowen’s version of the fight which forced the end of the coalition.

BRIAN COWEN was facing renewed calls from his own party to quit last night after the Greens humiliated him by blocking new ministerial appointments and forcing him to bring forward the general election.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen was tonight facing calls from within his own ranks to resign after plans for a Cabinet reshuffle almost collapsed the Government.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen was urged to keep retiring ministers in their jobs until the election, it was revealed today.

Ireland’s junior coalition party, the Greens, threatened today to bring down the Government in a row over filling Cabinet seats left empty by a string of ministerial resignations in a day of high drama at Government Buildings.

Labour Party leader, Eamon Gilmore, has accused the Taoiseach Brian Cowen of a cynical attempt to cling on to power through a major Cabinet reshuffle and appointment of new ministers.

Proceedings in the Dáil have been suspended until 1.30pm as Opposition leaders refused to allow the chamber conduct its planned business until the Taoiseach Brian Cowen had explained the recent resignations of six of his Cabinet Ministers.

The Government is expected to resume proceedings in the Dáil as it was hit by a sixth ministerial resignation today amid speculation that Taoiseach Brian Cowen was planning to name a new Cabinet.

Sources have said that the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation Batt O'Keefe is to tender his resignation from the Cabinet.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen was today expected to reshuffle his Cabinet after an exodus of four ministers.

The Green Party Leader John Gormley has spoken with the Taoiseach this morning to express his concerns over the five Cabinet vacancies.

The Taoiseach Brian Cowen is set to undertake a major Cabinet reshuffle after four ministers who are retiring at the next election resigned from Cabinet.

FINE GAEL councillor Joe Cooney last night confirmed that the party has approached him to run as a fourth candidate in the forthcoming general election.

BRIAN LENIHAN is expected to back Brian Cowen in today’s confidence motion on his leadership in a move aimed at alienating the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Michael Martin.

THE son of former president Dr Patrick Hillery, Dr John Hillery, said yesterday he is willing to take a €100,000 hit in income if his hopes of being elected to the next Dáil are realised.

WILLIE O’DEA has become the latest senior Fianna Fáil figure to criticise the exodus of ministers from the party, saying the situation resembled “the flight out of Egypt”.

OUTGOING Defence Minister Tony Killeen was a bit like the stealth bomber of the Cabinet — nobody really knew he was there, but colleagues were comforted by his presence none the less.

MICHAEL Woods last night joined the exodus of senior Fianna Fáil figures standing down at the looming election as it emerged that Defence Minister Tony Killeen will receive a golden goodbye of some €237,000 when he exits the Dáil.

The Government was dealt another blow today when a third senior minister announced he would not contest the forthcoming General Election.

Two more Fianna Fáil politicians have joined the list of those who will not be running in the forthcoming General Election.

The race towards the next election appeared to regain momentum today with Green Party leader John Gormley indicating a March poll and Fine Gael unveiling a revamped website.

The Labour Party warned today a referendum on abolishing the Seanad cannot be held on the same day as an election.

The Government is considering holding a referendum on abolishing the Seanad on the same day as the General Election, it has been reported.

FINE GAEL are not hiding party leader Enda Kenny, finance spokesman Michael Noonan has insisted, dismissing such claims as ‘propaganda’.

IRISH soldiers are to be deployed to a peacekeeping mission in Lebanon in the new year.

Hundreds of Irish soldiers are to be deployed to a peace-keeping mission in Lebanon in the new year, it was announced today.

FOREIGN Affairs Minister Micheál Martin has confirmed he would like to be the next leader of Fianna Fáil.

SHANNON airport is operating with both hands behind its back and in the impossible situation of having to compete against its employer, the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA), and the newly opened T2.

FEARS are increasing that a long-awaited €137 million bypass road for Kerry’s county town due to start next year will fall victim to government cutbacks.

MORE than 50 tonnes of Irish cheddar cheese, worth over €750,000 will be made available free of charge to those in need “in time for Christmas”.

INDEPENDENT TD Jackie Healy-Rae is demanding a commitment to provide funding for the proposed €160 million Tralee bypass in return for his continuing support for Government.

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen and his wife Mary Molloy were among several hundred people who sympathised with Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin and his family last night as they began the heartbreaking process of saying goodbye to their beloved Léana.

THE Green Party believes up to €5.7 billion could be cut in the budget without sacrificing education commitments in the Programme for Government.

A 30-YEAR campaign to remove one of the country’s notorious traffic bottlenecks ended yesterday with the official opening of a €35 million bypass in Castleisland, Co Kerry.