The Greens will also meet with Sinn Féin today and set out their crucial issues for sharing power while Labour and Fianna Fáil will this week hold their first post-election party meetings.

It's been a “change” election in so many ways, but one certainty we cling to is that we’re stuck in the same old territory when it comes to the election of women to the Dáil.

Count centres across the country have reopened this morning as Day 2 of the count gets underway.

Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy said she hopes the party can win four seats in the general election amid expectation that the group will also form part of any government talks.

A new opinion poll as listed Mary Lou McDonald as the "most effective communicator" among party leaders during the election campaign to date.

Affordable homes, better supports for parents, and a fairer and more equal society are among the promises in the Social Democrats manifesto.

Affordable homes, better supports for parents and a fairer and more equal society are among the promises in the Social Democrats manifesto.

There is a lingering suspicion that everybody in Thursday’s TV leaders debate was administered a high dose of adrenaline as they entered the studio. All were out of the blocks as if they’d been pumped up on something, and none more so than co-presenter Ivan Yates.

Another debate, another ninety minutes wired for sound and on guard for a slip or stray word.

As we approach the general election on February 8, Wilton Justice Group are calling on the leaders of Ireland’s political parties to make climate action an immediate priority in the next government.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has fought off criticisms of her party and its republican past, arguing that the Ard Chomhairle, which decides policy, is “no different to the GAA”.

Solidarity-People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett has called for a "grand coalition" of the left to ensure Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil are not returned to power.

As her campaign team hit the streets of Ballydehob, West Cork, Holly Cairns could lay reasonable claim to having the country’s youngest canvasser on the job.

The Taoiseach, who was struck down by a stomach bug on the trail forcing him to abandon a planned walkabout at the Santry Omni Park in Dublin.

Controversially, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has been excluded from both tonight’s debate and the final debate before the country goes to the polls.

The decision by Ms O'Sullivan brings to an end her 11-year career as a TD.

Bingo players protested outside the Dáil this week saying legislation being considered by the government would put the halls at risk.

Mary Williams from Tallaght joined other bingo players outside Leinster House to protest against proposed gambling legislation.

The Social Democrats have confirmed they will table a no confidence vote in the embattled Minister.

However, members from across the opposition have lashed out at Ms Murphy who suggested asylum seeker children as young as three years of age need to be "deprogrammed" as they may have been manipulated by ISIS.

A group comprising every former Drugs Minister in the State has called for urgent action on the drugs crisis in Ireland, citing the situation as being “at epidemic proportions”.

They agreed the end of November would be the best time for the elections to replace TDs who had been elected to the European Parliament last May.

Fine Gael TDs Noel Rock and Hildegarde Naughton are set to be promoted and take up Maria Bailey's Oireachtas committee places after her swing-gate fall from grace.

Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty's position in the Cabinet has been called into question by the Social Democrats over the public services card scandal.

The ongoing Brexit crisis is keeping a "very poor Government" in power and preventing it from being toppled by the housing, cervical check, broadband and public service card scandals.

The Government’s priority in dealing with Brexit has to be that the cost of it is not paid for by ordinary people, warned the co-leader of the Social Democrats Róisín Shortall.

It will cost €6.6bn to remove private healthcare from public hospitals — but there is no information in an independent review group report on how this bill will be paid.