Successive government policies have damaged the country’s poorest communities and undermined local structures to combat the drugs crisis, according to new research.

Greek anarchists hurled fire bombs, chairs and wooden planks at riot police in brief clashes outside parliament while politicians were debating a controversial austerity bill, disrupting a much larger peaceful rally on Sunday.

Greece’s left-wing government saw its majority cut to just six seats in parliament on Thursday following dissent over an austerity vote.

Clashes have broken out between riot police and youths in central Athens during the first general strike since Greece’s left-led government initially came to power in January.

The OECD report highlights growth, stabilisation and reducing unemployment but for many on the ground, austerity and emigration continue to take their toll, writes Ray Kinsella

Greece’s bailout deal is in line with previous bailouts, only worse. It will lead to further deterioration of the Greek economy and debt, writes Pat Cradock

Please wait while we seem serious and caring … *whirr*

The imposition of water charges has become a symbol of “austerity fatigue”, the European Commission said as a war of words continued to rage over the levy.

Greek MPs have voted overwhelmingly to approve a harsh austerity bill demanded by bailout creditors, despite significant dissent from members of prime minister Alexis Tsipras’ left-wing party.

People may not like bankers or capitalism, but they like being better-off and won’t vote to be poorer, says Victoria White

At the height of its pomp, Social Partnership insidiously undermined the constitutional role of the cabinet, writes Gerard Howlin

“A Grexit would be traumatic enough that it would help scare the rest of Europe into giving up more sovereignty to a stronger banking and fiscal union. The argument was that letting Greece burn would make it easier to build a stronger Europe with a more credible firewall.”

While 80% want to stay in the EU, many also profess to be socialist. A balance of free-market ideals and privatisation, tempered by debt relief, is the best compromise, says Paul Glader

A harsher austerity programme than any that has gone before for Greece will be studied by troika officials today before going to eurozone ministers tomorrow.

Jubilant Greeks celebrated their democracy last night as they voted overwhelmingly against the austerity of the past five years but insisted that it is a vote for Europe.

Ireland could end up paying as much as €1bn towards a new bailout for Greece under its international obligations.

The past week has taken its toll on nearly everybody in Greece. What’s next, asks Europe Correspondent Ann Cahill from Athens

In the wake of the Greek referendum Kostas Karkagiannis, the foreign business editor of Kathimerini newspaper, looks at how Greece was treated by the eurozone and Tsipras

Greece has rejected a personal plea from Taoiseach Enda Kenny to back down and follow Ireland’s austerity agenda as its radical prime minister Alexis Tsipras insisted he would put his people first, not creditors.

Negotiations on the Greek plan broke down completely last night with pressure due to mount today as EU leaders gather in Brussels.

Greece has choices to make to resolve its crippling debt problems but the entire eurozone also needs fiscal and structural co-ordination if it is to prosper, writes Dennis Snower

The Greek government returned to many of the original austerity measures to save money including cutting pensions, privatising airports and ports as well as new laws to tackle tax evasion and fraud.

Comedian Russell Brand and singer Charlotte Church have branded austerity “unethical, unfair and unnecessary” as they joined a quarter of a million demonstrators in a London protest against the British Conservative government cuts.

Five years of economic recession and austerity in Ireland have had a dramatic negative impact on the male suicide rate and the self-harm rate among men and women, a study has found.

Blaming the troika for hurting the poor will not bail out the Government when its record on protecting the vulnerable is scrutinised by the United Nations next week, the country’s human rights watchdog has warned.

The Governor of the Central Bank said today that the bank guarantee was not the main cause of austerity.

Isn’t it interesting how quick the media have been to point out that the recent election results are a wake-up call to the Government to rethink its austerity strategies and to find an alternative policy.

Fine Gael’s policy of continuing austerity is expected to get a boost from Brussels today when recommendations on member states’ budgets for next year are rolled out.

The country has been saved from a generation of poverty by the Government’s tough austerity measures, Taoiseach Edna Kenny has insisted.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has told angry voters that there is no "pot of gold" for the Government to spend.

The idea of Ireland as a sovereign nation is folklore.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has insisted that the rates for water charges — in the order of €240 a year or €60 a quarter — will be announced before the local elections.

AUSTERITY is now an orphan. Fianna Fáil and the Green Party begat it when in government. Fine Gael and Labour said the foundling child had to be fostered if we were to regain our self-respect and self-sufficiency.

Pensioners, carers, and people with disabilities could be given financial assistance to pay for household water usage under a compromise being considered between the Coalition parties over the proposed charge.

Welcome to your Wednesday morning briefing. Let us ensure you’re up to speed on what’s happening and are prepared for the day ahead.

Almost 50,000 people from 21 countries across Europe shut down the EU capital demonstrating against austerity and unemployment.

Admissions about the crisis cock-up are all very well but what have we learned, asks Kyran Fitzgerald.

Taxpayers are facing at least another four years of austerity, including a bigger than forecast €2.5bn cut in government spending next year, according to the European Commission’s assessment of the economy.

The country’s 1.6m households will know how much they can expect to pay in water charges before next May’s local elections, the Taoiseach has told the Dáil.

Outgoing European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso will tonight praise the people of Ireland for their courage, resilience and sacrifice during the bailout programme.

An alliance of anti-water charge candidates for the local elections has called for a mass boycott of the incoming levy among communities and vowed to oppose austerity measures if elected.