Taoiseach Enda Kenny is facing mounting pressure to refund Irish Water customers who paid their bills, with growing calls for rebates from within Cabinet, as well as from many of his own TDs.

Fine Gael TDs are split on refunding water charges, with half of those contacted by the Irish Examiner in favour of giving the money back and a near identical number saying non-payers must instead be pursued.

Politicians should serve a maximum of two terms in the Dáil because anything longer is bad for politics, writes Elaine Loughlin of the Irish Examiner.

Politicians should serve a maximum of two terms in the Dáil because anything longer is bad for politics.

About 20% of the country’s political representatives are landlords, according to the most recent registry of members interests.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has insisted that “a cast iron guarantee” on flights in and out of Ireland is needed before a takeover bid for Aer Lingus can be considered by the Government.

Just weeks into his new role as Health Minister Leo Varadkar has urged lobby groups not to "attack and weaken" him because it could hinder efforts to protect his department’s budget.

Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte has accused ex-party chairman Colm Keaveney of political opportunism and said he would join terrorist group Hezbollah if it helped his career.

Veteran Fianna Fáil TD Michael Kitt has said he was “very surprised” that former Labour TD Colm Keaveney was joining his party and admitted that half his local party was in revolt over the decision, which he found out about from local radio.

The Fianna Fáil parliamentary meeting has unanimously approved the membership of Colm Keaveney.

Former Labour Party Chairman Colm Keaveney is reportedly in talks to join Fianna Fáil.

Labour elected Siptu official Lorraine Mulligan as its new chairperson over the weekend after a close competition for the position on the party’s executive board.

People with cancer, disabilities, or serious illnesses who have had their medical cards removed in “one foul swoop” deserve an explanation for the reasons why, according to Fine Gael TD, Paul Connaughton.

It could be the publishing sensation of the autumn, Fifty Shades of Red — the torrid tale of an often tortuous relationship between two powerful men battling for domination of the Labour Party.

Labour chairman Colm Keaveney resigned from the party saying it is “heading for disaster” and that he wanted to challenge the Coalition’s failed policies from the opposition benches.

It was billed as High Noon in the upper house.

Labour Party chief whip Emmet Stagg welcomed

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No one should be fooled by Education Minister Ruairi Quinn’s U-turn on his own highly unpopular and utterly inappropriate proposal to cut resource teaching hours for children with special needs by a further 12%.

Labour party chairman Colm Keaveney claims Education Minister Ruairi Quinn’s cuts to resource teaching for disabled children betray party values and should be reversed.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has been dealt a fresh blow as a breakaway group of “Real Labour” rebel TDs are set for a bigger role in the Dáil.

Labour Party rebel Deputy Colm Keaveney last night demanded a public apology from the Standards in Public Office (Sipo) Commission after claiming the watchdog wrongly named him as the only member of the Oireachtas not to provide any details of political donations last year.

An overhaul of the repayment of billions of euro in loans used to bail out Anglo Irish Bank is the most urgent financial issue facing the Government, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore said.

Sources close to Labour leader Eamon Gilmore have said there is “no prospect whatsoever” of the party chairman, Colm Keaveney, being removed from his position.

The bitter split in Labour ranks intensified as an independent probe into how internal elections were organised was demanded.

Labour Party chairman Colm Keaveney has hit back at attempts by the party leadership to oust him from his position, following his vote against the budget, saying he will not engage in their “silly games”.

Rebel Labour TD Colm Keaveney is expected to be removed as party chair over fears he will use his position to create further disunity and undermine party leader Eamon Gilmore.

Rebel Labour TD Colm Keaveney is expected to be removed as party chair over fears he will use his position to create further disunity and undermine the leader, Eamon Gilmore.

The Galway East TD Colm Keaveney has voted against the social welfare bill.

The chairman of the Labour Party has called on the Government to row back on cuts to child benefit announced in Budget 2013.

There will be no turning back from measures outlined in Wednesday’s budget, the Government insisted, despite some Labour backbenchers holding out hope that tweaks can be made to avoid a public backlash.

Labour Party Chairman Colm Keaveney has not ruled out voting against today's Budget.

Defiant Labour Party chairman Colm Keaveney has insisted he did nothing wrong by appointing his wife to a taxpayer-funded €52,000-a-year job as his assistant.

Eamon Gilmore has cautioned his party about spreading rumours about the budget as members openly talked of Labour dissent and frustration.

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has said it is too early to say if he would agree with deducting a property tax directly from people's wages.

Labour chairman Colm Keaveney has warned the party leadership is not communicating with grassroots members well enough.

Labour needs to ditch its “bubble” mentality, the party’s outspoken new chairman Colm Keaveney has insisted.

Perhaps coming on stage to the sounds of a song about dealing with a massive hangover and then referencing the Titanic was not the ideal opener for Eamon Gilmore.

OUTRAGED Labour TDs have pledged “blood on the walls” if the Coalition Government tries to push through cuts in child benefit and welfare rates.

Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton said he has Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s full support as he remained committed to plans to cut the pay of low earners despite concern from Labour TDs.

IT all got a bit too Panto for comfort in the Dáil yesterday as Eamon Gilmore taunted the Taoiseach over Brian Lenihan’s seemingly boundless ambition.

ELDERLY and disabled patients will no longer be provided with essential aids such as toilet frames, bed pans, commodes and drip stands in what has been described as a “new low” in crippling health cutbacks.