Dara Murphy had come under fire after it was revealed that he has claimed his full Dáil salary and expenses over the past two years, despite being largely absent from Leinster House.

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

European Council president Donald Tusk has said the "punchline" in the Brexit deal drama will be whether British prime minister Boris Johnson "has done what he should" and passes the agreement through the House of Commons.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he is “flattered” to be linked to the role of the new president of the European Commission but that he plans to stay put in Ireland as Taoiseach.

He said the EU had four major economic challenges, all of which needed to progress substantially in the next five years.

Fianna Fáil's two candidates in Ireland South deny that the party's decision to divide the constituency has caused tension between them.

Britain will be blocked from taking part in the upcoming EU elections, one of Europe's most influential politicians has suggested.

LATEST: Donald Tusk has "overwhelming support" to retain one of the European Union's top jobs, despite staunch opposition from the government of his native Poland, the EU leader overseeing the election process said.

The Taoiseach Enda Kenny is attending an extraordinary EU meeting of leaders in Brussels.

Three people arrested outside the European People's Party congress at the National Convention Centre in Dublin yesterday evening are due in court this morning.

Lucinda Creighton has said Enda Kenny would be a strong candidate for another top European position, after he ruled himself out of one race yesterday.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is among the European leaders arriving in Dublin today, as the EU's largest political party meets for its annual congress.

It's official - Enda Kenny will not be running for a job in the EU.

The European People's Party has become involved in Ireland's abortion debate.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny will travel to Vienna today to meet other European leaders for a summit to prepare for the next European Council meeting.

Enda Kenny is in Cyprus today for an extraordinary party summit with leaders of the European People's Party.

The Taoiseach has said the people of Ireland will not be asked to vote on the EU fiscal treaty for a second time.

The Government'ss nominee to the European Court of Auditors Kevin Cardiff looks set to have his appointment ratified today despite an early setback.

The main political grouping in the European Parliament has backed the nomination of Kevin Cardiff to the European Court of Auditors.

The German and French leaders are today trying to drum up support for their plan to resolve the eurozone debt crisis.

The Government is to challenge MEPs who rejected its nomination of a senior finance chief to a top job in Europe, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has claimed.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has today played down the likelihood of an agreement being reached on a cheaper bailout deal for Ireland at an EU Summit this week.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has tonight vowed to begin efforts to renegotiate Ireland's €85bn bailout next week.

It was unclear today whether Ireland can hold another referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in the future.

FEW bodies set out to design a horse and end up with a camel as effectively as the European Parliament.

TURKEY got a conditional 'yes' from the European Commission in its bid to join the EU yesterday, 40 years after it first applied for membership.

FIANNA FÁIL’S four MEPs are expected to be admitted to the federalist Liberal group in the European Parliament today together with independent MEP Marion Harkin.

BEMOANING the “pathetically” low turnout in European Parliament elections, political leaders yesterday dismissed the impact of Euro-sceptics and said more had to be done to “sell” the EU to its own citizens.

SINN FÉIN could end up sitting where the Reverend Ian Paisley sat in the European Parliament if it wins a seat in the elections. But so could the MEPs from Fianna Fáil.

FINE GAEL leader Enda Kenny yesterday said retaining four seats in the European elections was the minimum that was acceptable to the party.

WAITING for Silvio. Fortunately the weather on St Stephen’s Green was more Mediterranean than Irish as Enda Kenny patiently awaited the arrival of Silvio Berlusconi.

A COUPLE of years ago the Independent MEP Dana Rosemary Scallon was thrown out of the European People's Party grouping in the European Parliament.

WITH the chill autumn winds blowing around the street corners of Brussels, there is a sense that the European Union is unravelling at the edges.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny is due to present his party's policy on military neutrality to the leaders of the European People's Party later today.

The election of the European Union Parliament's president is gearing up to be a political dogfight.