Independents and smaller parties will not support any nominations for taoiseach as the Dáil resumes today.

Struggling borrowers facing repossession of their home in the courts are expected to be offered increased legal support as part of the Coalition’s package of reforms on mortgage arrears.

Thousands of struggling mortgage holders will be offered an option to walk away from mounting debts but still live in their homes under a scheme being finalised by the Government.

The Government’s much trumpeted spring economic statement will allow parties to prepare their election manifestos and be debated by the Dáil later this month.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan has said he will ask the Central Bank to push banks to cut their variable-rate mortgages for borrowers.

Average family water bills of €200 were signalled as the Coalition continued to send out confusing messages on the charging regime.

A Cabinet Minister has today admitted that it was "not helpful" that the public do not yet know the full details on water charges.

Enda Kenny moved to try and paper over Coalition cracks caused by the Irish Water controversy despite Tánaiste Joan Burton refusing to rule out the row sinking the Government.

The legislation establishing Irish Water was passed by Dáil Éireann after a mere three hours of debate. The decision to hold just three hours of debate was itself the subject of a Dáil Order of Business vote, which was passed with the support of my vote, under the party whip.

The Tánaiste Joan Burton has stopped short of saying that Irish Water will bring the end of this Government.

The escalating row over water charges threatens to split the Coalition amid continuing confusion over what households will be asked to pay for the controversial levy.

Fianna Fáil's Michael McGrath has said there should be no water charge until the Government brings the network up to standard.

Cork city councillor Laura McGonigle faced death wishes and vile and abusive language following the furore over her weekend Facebook post regarding Irish Water protesters, according to the Evening Echo.

The Coalition is set to cave in to the massive public revolt against water charges by agreeing to more "modest" rates.

Finance Minister Micheal Noonan says a number of decisions around water charges will be announced in the coming weeks.

Anti-Irish Water momentum reached new heights yesterday as protesters forced it to abandon a meeting with public representatives and later demonstrated in a town where three householders were arrested for blocking meters installations.

Health Minister Leo Varadkar has hinted that the Government could extend the period of the assessed charge for water metering.

Senior Ministers will meet again today to discuss the ongoing water charges controversy.

Irish Water has finally started a hunt for a data protection manager, months after it started the process of demanding and recording customers’ PPS numbers.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said Irish Water staff should not get bonuses for under-performing but has absolved the company’s boss from any responsibility for the pay awards.

The Cabinet reshuffle will now be announced at the earliest tomorrow, and it is possible it could even run to Friday.

It now looks like the eagerly anticipated Cabinet reshuffle may not be announced this afternoon, as had been widely expected.

Homeowners in 11 counties - including Kerry, Clare and Galway and parts of Dublin - will not see any cut in property tax,as a result of plans drawn up by the Government.

The Coalition has been accused of deliberately creating a "rat-race" among young people looking to buy a home in order to "drive up the fortunes of the construction sector".

It took just a moment of inattention to rupture the Coalition’s inner circle,says Gerard Howlin

Finance Minister Michael Noonan has admitted that €490m meant for local services is to be diverted into Irish Water.

Deeply unpopular plans to slash €113m from the medical cards system have been cut to just €25m after an intense two-month internal government battle.

1. A commitment to properly fund higher education

The Government is outsourcing the development of a mid-term economic strategy to keep the country growing after the departure of the troika.

The unprecedented financial crisis that has gripped the State since 2008 has required an equally unprecedented legislative response, but this has been accompanied by a raft of reforms that will prevent a future collapse, according to Brian Hayes, minister for State at the Department of Finance.

The Government will announce in today’s budget that eligibility for illness benefit will be increased from three days to six days, placing further pressure on companies that are set to face a raft of other employment cost rises.

Free GP care for the under fives and maintaining class sizes will be part of a €2.5bn package of tax hikes and spending cuts for next year, after a deal was last night hammered out between Coalition parties.

The Government will have to wait until Sunday to sign off on

The Cabinet’s inner circle will meet this evening to decide on specific measures to reach the €2.5bn budget in tax and cuts agreed by ministers to take out of the economy next year.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan has given the strongest signal yet that the low rate of Vat for pubs, restaurants, and the hospitality sector will be partially maintained.

Hopes of an easier budget have been boosted after figures on tax and spending helped smooth over the fault lines between the Coalition partners on the final size of the adjustment.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has been accused of passing the buck to bailed-out banks over failure to get a grip on the mortgage crisis.

WHETHER Enda Kenny succeeds in tipping the Seanad into the dustbin of political history or not, Ireland will remain one of the most centralised democracies in the Western world.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan has said people should know that the budget will be made up of a combination of spending cuts and tax increases.

The word on the street is the Seanad costs the Exchequer €20 million a year.

Senior Labour Cabinet ministers have refused to echo Joan Burton’s insistence that key welfare payments will be spared from cuts in the looming budget.

Many letters will be written about the promissory note, but I would like to discuss it from a different angle.

In the aftermath of last year’s budget, Joan Burton was left exposed by her Cabinet colleagues in the handling of the U-turn on disability cuts.

Cabinet ministers will gather for a special budget meeting later today, with one week to go before the details are unveiled.