The Dáil will sit with a much-reduced TD population in order to pass emergency legislation relating to the Covid-19 epidemic, while the expected vote for Taoiseach is to be deferred.

A bitter personal row between Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin marred the first day’s sitting of the 33rd Dáil, which failed to elect a Taoiseach.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl, the newly-elected Ceann Comhairle of the 33rd Dáil, took five attempts before finally taking his seat in Dáil Éireann in the aftermath of the 2002 general election.

Mr Ó Fearghaíl received 130 votes against 28 delivered for Denis Naughten, beating the quota by 50 votes.

Newly re-elected, Kerry TDs Michael and Danny Healy-Rae put on a show ahead of the new Dáil's first sitting.

Both candidates for the role of Ceann Comhairle in the new Dáil have made their pitch speeches for election.

Incumbent Ceann Comhairle Sean Ó Fearghaíl looks primed in pole position to retain his role as the Dáil meets for the first time this afternoon.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl as Ceann Comhairle will leave Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin neck and neck with voting TD numbers in the race to lead the next government.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl is on track to win a second term as Ceann Comhairle when deputies meet for the new Dáil tomorrow and as parties struggle to find a consensus on forming the next government.

Independent TD Denis Naughten has confirmed he is putting his name forward for the role of Ceann Comhairle.

Fine Gael TD Fergus O'Dowd has ruled himself out of the race to become the Ceann Comhairle in the 33rd Dàil.

Presenting his full parliamentary complement of 12 TDs at Leinster House this afternoon, the Green Party leader underlined the fact his party “is really keen to get working” on the process of forming a Government.

A vote for Ceann Comhairle first order of business in 33rd Dáil, says Cianan Brennan.

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

Mr Ó Fearghaíl received the present while visiting the United Arab Emirates in late 2018.

If the two main parties acknowledged that there is no policy difference between them, they could form a coalition and agree to rotate the office of the taoiseach, writes Ryle Dwyer

Double-jobbing former Fine Gael TD Dara Murphy has broken his silence on criticism from Fine Gael over claiming expenses in the Dáil while also working in Brussels.

Deputies Brid Smith, Richard Boyd Barrett, Gino Kenny and Paul Murphy claim a Bill seeking to link exploration licences with meeting carbon reduction targets has been “strangled” by the Ceann Comhairle.

Latest: Outgoing Fine Gael TD Dara Murphy has insisted he has “been compliant” with Leinster House rules about his attendance at all times.

The Finance Minister says more explanation is needed as to why a €1.6 million printer is not yet operational.

More than 150 young people who took over the Dáil have issued a stark warning to adults on the cost of doing nothing on climate change.

Independent TD Noel Grealish has been accused of "disgraceful racism" after raising questions in the Dáil around money being sent home by migrants.

The Government’s “serious abuse” of Dáil procedure in blocking Opposition bills will today be the subject of a High Court judicial review.

The decision of four TDs to go to the High Court to seek to overturn a decision of the Ceann Comhairle is by any yardstick the nuclear option.

They have mounted the legal action against the Ceann Comhairle's decision not to allow a new bill on Dáil rules to be debated.

Two Opposition TDs have gone to the High Court to see an injunction against Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail over his decision to disallow a new bill due to be debated in the Dáil today.

The Dáil was briefly suspended this afternoon after a row that has seen the Ceann Comhairle accused of attacking democracy.

The Dáil’s internal report into voting irregularities has been branded a “complete whitewash” by several Fine Gael ministers.

The speaker of the Dáil, Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl said the voting scandal of a week ago was a “political failure,” which eroded public confidence in politics.

The internal Dáil report into the voting irregularities included testimony from the two TDs at the heart of the scandal - Timmy Dooley and Niall Collins- and this is what they had to say.

The duo have said they were in the Dáil on occasions when their button was pressed but they were not in their seats.

As it was put to me yesterday - the Maria Bailey fiasco was such a Fine Gael type of scandal, while the 'Vote-gate' row is a classic Fianna Fáil one.

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has insisted a full investigation into the "illegal act" of TDs voting for colleagues while they are physically absent is needed - claiming some votes could be cast while TDs are out on "a skite".

Daniel McConnell explains how the Dáil's electronic voting process works, and how this controversy has arisen.

There are mounting calls for the Dáil's electronic voting to be suspended pending the outcome of an inquiry into TD's voting on behalf of colleagues.