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.

The Government has promised that a break up of the health services into six regions will reduce the number of managers and improve care for patients.

Social Democrats co-leader Roisin Shortall has said that she believes the cost of building the National Children's Hospital will eventually reach €2bn.

The Government is under mounting pressure to scrap planned road upgrades in the National Development Plan in favour of measures to tackle climate change.

The Dáil will tonight debate a motion calling on the Government to revise public spending commitments to prioritise cycling lanes as well as train and Luas extensions.

It took two recounts and four days but Holly McKeever Cairns has secured the final seat in Bantry West Cork LEA amid high drama on the 16th floor of Cork County Hall.

Latest: It took two recounts and four days but Holly McKeever Cairns has secured the final seat in Bantry West Cork LEA amid high drama on the 16th floor of Cork County Hall.

The likely MEP elections Green gallop and a predicted left-leaning parties transfer trend could kick-start a debate about a long-overdue Irish "progressives" political bloc, writes political correspondent Fiachra Ó Cionnaith.

The Communications Minister has also refused to say how much of the €5bn broadband rollout cost will be footed by rural homeowners and businesses.

The Government’s Sláintecare action plan has been blasted as “deeply underwhelming” by the woman who chaired the committee that produced the Sláintecare report.

There are calls for new laws on data retention to be brought forward before Christmas in response to yesterday's judgement in relation to Graham Dwyer's case.

Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Crumlin is to review all transcriptions of a cancer gene test after what it believes was a "transcription error" in one case.

Labour’s olive branch offer of support for like-minded opposition parties has been snubbed by the Social Democrats and Greens — despite an appeal to maximise “progressive” voices in the Dáil.

Every child going to school, even those of millionaires, should be given up to €250 every year to pay for school uniforms and shoes, under alternative budget plans announced by the Labour Party.

Fianna Fáil finance spokesman Michael McGrath has said there is a need for tax cuts in Budget 2019 or workers will inevitably end up paying more to the state with higher wages.

The Social Democrats have branded the tit-for-tat exchanges between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail ahead of the budget as “auction politics”.

The minister for health, Simon Harris, published a strategy document — a 10-year plan to reform the health service — last week. 

All publicly funded hospitals will be expected to provide legal health services, including women’s health services, says Health Minister Simon Harris.

The numbers who have been granted asylum here but remain in State-funded direct provision centres has soared by almost 50% to 591 in the past 16 months.