A free rail scheme developed by Fáilte Ireland in conjunction with Iarnród Éireann is now available for all over 66's visiting here.

Legislation to give effect to some of the tax changes announced in the Budget will be published by the Government today.

Garda rank and file leaders have sent a questionnaire to the 11,600 members of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) to find out their views on taking part in public sector industrial action over pay cuts.

Public sector protests over the cuts in pay introduced in the Budget are expected to start later this month.

One euro in every €5 cut by the Government in Budget 2010 came from the pockets of the poor.

The Simon Community is bracing itself for greater numbers turning to its services next year.

Teaching union ASTI has vowed to launch a campaign of resistance against thegovernment's Budget cuts.

A Government backbench TD is demanding that all semi-State wages are cut with immediate effect.

ANGRY clashes between political leaders in the Dáil has prompted accusations the Government does not care about the poor and vulnerable.

The Finance Minister Brian Lenihan has ruled out exempting low paid public servants from pay cuts.

Hundreds of civil servants are protesting outside the Dáil at the introduction of legislation this evening which will cut their pay by up to 15%.

Unions are meeting today for talks on last week's public sector pay cuts.

The General Secretary of the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) Eamon Devoy has said pay cuts to semi-state workers will not be tolertated.

The Garda Commissioner and Justice Department officials have drawn up a plan to hit back if a strike ballot of rank and file gardai goes ahead.

The President of the largest trade union SIPTU has said he genuinely fears the Government is pushing the country into a severe depression.

Fine Gael has criticised measures in Budget 2010 saying they are bringing the lowest-paid workers into the tax net.

Fine Gael has criticised measures in Budget 2010 saying they're bringing the lowest-paid workers into the tax net.

The Green Party leader John Gormley has announced plans for new legislation which aims to commit Ireland to an 80% reduction in greenhouse gases by the year 2050.

There were more angry scenes in the Dáil this morning as Opposition leaders again rounded on the Government over its bid to pass the Social Welfare bill into law today.

The Labour Party has accused the Government of taking a political decision to abandon talks with unions on savings in the public sector.

The executives of the country's teachers' unions are meeting today to decide whether or not to take industrial action in the new year.

Social welfare officers will be able to inspect the bank accounts of people they suspect of fraud under new powers included in the Budget.

TDs are expected to vote this evening on cuts to the social welfare bill outlined in Wednesday's Budget after the debate on the issue resumes this morning.

DEEP budget cuts in welfare payments were last night condemned as unjust and unnecessary as the measures were rushed through the Dáil.

SIX Independent TDs have been urged to vote down a series of controversial social welfare cuts before they are passed by the Dáil this evening.

THE main thrust of new legislation to combat climate change will be laid out by Environment Minister John Gormley later today.

PARENTS of young children face a double-whammy from January 1 as they lose the Early Childcare Supplement on top of the cuts to Child Benefit announced in this week’s budget.

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen has asked public service workers, who have bourne the brunt of the budget cuts, to remember that employees in the private sector have also suffered.

HOMEOWNERS facing a property tax announced in this week’s budget could face a second “valuation” charge through the building of a national database on homes.

THE finance minister has been asked to boost the role of the state spending watchdog by strengthening its offices to monitor the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA).

ANYONE listening to Brian Lenihan’s budget speech may have got the impression the Government would – indirectly at least – be pressurising judges to volunteer pay cuts.

GERARD O’Donoghue, who works in the planning office of Limerick City Council admits that as a single man with no children, he can take the almost 15% cut in pay he has taken this year better than others.

CHILDREN’S rights groups have welcomed the funds announced for the implementation of the Ryan Report and the Children’s Rights Referendum.

Unions were this evening warning of an 'indefinite strike' in protest at the cuts to public sector pay in yesterday's Budget.

The Labour Party tonight called for Independent TD Jackie Healy-Rae to resign as chairman of the Oireachtas Social and Family Affairs Committee.

The Dáil was disrupted for nearly an hour this evening as party conflicts held up debate on the social welfare cuts in the Budget.

The General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions today described as "extremely severe" the cuts to public servants' pay outlined in yesterday's Budget.

The ISPCC has welcomed the Government's commitment to hold the long-awaited children's rights referendum.

The heads of the four teacher unions have announced they will not take part in any talks with the Government on the transformation agenda.

A leading social advocacy organisation today blasted the Budget as “unfair and breathtakingly unjust” saying it would damage Ireland’s economic and social development.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen today led a sustained defence of the toughest Budget on record warning there was no avoiding the swingeing €4bn pay and welfare cuts.

Former Taoiseach Garret Fitzgerald has insisted that the Government will have to raise taxes next year.

The body representing Vocational Educational Committees (VECs) in Ireland today said the Budget measures announced by Finance Minister Brian Lenihan yesterday "ignored" the needs of adult students.

Taoiseach is travelling to Brussels later today for a meeting of the European Council - the first one since the Lisbon Treaty came into force earlier this month.