Finance Minister Michael Noonan’s decision to freeze local property tax rates until 2019 has been slammed by the European Commission as a “lost opportunity” to broaden the tax base.

The former Oireachtas committee chairman had the courage to face down pressure from a most powerful individual and give a forum to whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe, writes Political Editor Daniel McConnell

Former Garda commissioner Martin Callinan met the then Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman John McGuinness in secret in 2014 to say that Sergeant Maurice McCabe was “not to be trusted”.

At the launch of his party’s referendum campaign, Enda Kenny stood with a copy of the Constitution in his hand and declared: “It is the constitutional responsibility of Dáil Eireann to hold the Government to account.”

The government’s spending watchdog is to scrutinise public-sector allowances in the wake of a review which only succeeded in abolishing one.

Consultants Deloitte are being paid €61,500 to carry out a review into the €3.6bn accounting error recorded at the Department of Finance.

Up to 181,000 migrants who should have gone home over the past two years alone could still be in the UK illegally, figures showed today.

VETERAN Fine Gael TD Bernard Allen confirmed last night that he will not contest the general election.

IN his column on the Department of Health and Children (July 6), Fergus Finlay knocks great fun out of questioning the role and function of the department and its ministers.

TÁNAISTE Mary Coughlan was embroiled in an explosive row last night over the leaking of parts of confidential reports into financial controversies in Fás.

I REFER to your report headlined “TDs receive ‘hate emails’ after gun debate” (November 2).

The Supreme Court will rule today if politicans are entitled to inquire into the nature of the Garda operation at Abbeylara Co Longford, which resulted in the fatal shooting of Mr John Carthy.