Fine Gael says it is "preparing to go into opposition" following a six hour meeting of the parliamentary party.

The race to be the next taoiseach will heat up this evening as rivals Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney go head-to-head in the first of four nights of hustings for the Fine Gael leadership contest.

The Taoiseach has rounded on rebel backbenchers still questioning his leadership, saying now is not the time to "mess around".

Latest: Green Party Deputy Leader, Catherine Martin, says that their future probably lies in "constructive opposition".

Concerning the recent O’Donovan Rossa funeral commemoration rhetoric; it should be noted that John Redmond and the Irish Parliamentary Party had strong associations with early Fenianism.

A referendum on gay marriage could be held within six months, Transport Minister Leo Varadkar has indicated.

Four Fine Gael TD's will be thrown out of the party this evening when they defy orders to back abortion laws in the first Dáil vote.

The Government's abortion legislation will take a first step towards becoming law when it is introduced in the Dáil today.

Fianna Fáil is putting off a decision on whether to support the Government's proposed legislation on abortion.

Tánaiste and Labour leader Eamon Gilmore is understood to be making contact with the party's TDs and Senators in the wake of another exit from the Parliamentary Party.

MEP Nessa Childers has said she felt it would have been "morally corrupt" of her to stay in the Parliamentary Labour Party.

A group of disgruntled Labour politicians have called for three new tax measures aimed at raising one billion euro a year.

The Fianna Fáil leader says his party will oppose the property tax being put forward by the coalition, because it can't possibly raise 500 million euro.

A new book exposes how, after a promising start, corruption became endemic in Irish political life, writes Colette Browne

Fianna Fáil TD Eamon O'Cuiv will not face expulsion from the Parliamentary Party after declaring that he is campaigning against the EU Fiscal Treaty.

Labour’s newest TD has warned the party leadership to take the rebellion of backbench colleague Tommy Broughan very seriously.

The full text of Taoiseach Brian Cowen's speech has been released this evening.

Fianna Fáil TD Chris Andrews has called on An Taoiseach Brian Cowen to stand down as leader of Fianna Fáil.

A member of the Cabinet, tipped as a contender to replace the Taoiseach in any push, has said Brian Cowen will lead Fianna Fáil into the next election.

Enda Kenny said today that he is not leading a broken party trying to fix a broken country.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny is to put his party on a General Election footing later today.

FIANNA Fáil’s Mary O’Rourke came under criticism from party colleagues for conceding during a radio interview that the party would not get into Government after the next election.

Enda Kenny was clinging to the leadership of Fine Gael tonight after most of his defunct front bench rebelled against him.

The Liberal Democrat Party formally ratified the coalition deal with the Conservatives early today.

Rebel Fianna Fáil backbenchers will come face to face with the Taoiseach today for the first time since some of them started planning a heave against him.

The Fianna Fáil backbencher who has called on Brian Cowen to consider his position says the rest of those who are unhappy should follow suit.

Green Party leader John Gormley is likely to come under pressure today to state whether he has full confidence in Defense Minister Willie O'Dea.

The Green Party has today insisted that it remains united in the wake of the resignation of high-profile senator Deirdre de Burca today.

Senator Deirdre De Burca has resigned from the Green Party and the Seanad.

Finance Minister Brian Lenihan has quashed concerns by Fianna Fáil backbenchers of his decision to exempt senior civil servants from the full force of the pay cuts announced in Budget 2010.

The Green Party voted to stay in power tonight after the vast majority of members signed off on the revised Programme for Government.

The Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan has warned that the further cuts in public spending will have to be made and has not rule out a further income tax increases over the next two years.

THE Government has been urged to extend the deadline for the completion of projects under the grant scheme for the control of farm waste.

The Green Party is considering its options after the outcome of the General Election.

Dublin independent TD Finian McGrath has criticised Labour for not endorsing Michael D Higgins as a presidential candidate.

SOMEONE injected Enda Kenny with truth serum over the holidays. He’s being so honest it would worry you.

THE Progressive Democrats are failing to live up to their role as the watchdogs of an incompetent government, Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte said last night.

Early indications from Leinster House indicate that John Bruton is set to be overthrown as leader of Fine Gael.