One of the country’s largest trade unions has put a series of 11 questions to all of the political groups contesting this year’s election, vowing to publish the answers as soon as possible after the election is called.

Pensioners, carers, the disabled and those on long-term welfare will be among those who receive the partially reinstated Christmas bonus in the next fortnight.

 The ‘back to work’ mantra is used to force people, despite their skills and training, into precarious work, offering the choice between hard labour and destitution, say Tom Boland and Ray Griffin 

The Wild Atlantic Way is good for business along Ireland’s indented coastline, say the couple about to sell up a well-performing local shop and cafe/restaurant, which they’ve developed through the recession.

Why is it State sector bodies have a beginning, and maybe a middle, but no end?

The Government’s Gateway job activation programme is more than 1,000 recruits short of its mid-year target. Just 200 additional people have been recruited since the start of the year.

In the Irish Examiner (January 15), Arthur Spring, Labour TD for Kerry North and West Limerick, criticised me for mentioning the slow rate of recovery in the jobs market in Kerry, because I highlighted the rise in live-register figures for the last three months of 2014.

The Government fell well short of the 3,000 target it had set for the number of people it hoped to place on its “Gateway” job-activation scheme by the end of 2014.

Cork County Council has managed to convince the Government to lift a recruitment embargo to fill senior positions on the local authority — but did not manage to do the same for frontline outdoor workers.

County councillors in Cork have demanded the Government does not penalise social welfare recipients who refuse to participate in the Gateway and JobBridge schemes.

The Government has filled less than 800 places on its Gateway job activation programme in the last 20 months, yet still believes it can reach its 3,000 target by year-end.

Cork County Council could become the first local authority in the country to discontinue employing people under Job-Bridge and Gateway schemes.

A local authority has been accused of "endorsing slave labour" for deciding to proceed with the hiring of staff under the controversial Gateway scheme.

With just 270 positions filled on its Gateway job activation programme, the Government has had to change the criteria for access to the scheme to try to attract more participants.

The Government has begun withholding dole payments to jobseekers who refuse to take part in its Gateway job activation scheme.

Green REIT is close to tapping the market for about €300m in funding to finance future investments, the Irish Examiner has learned.

One of the country’s largest unions has told Social Protection Minister Joan Burton that the mandatory requirement for jobseekers to participate in Gateway placements or face a potential cut to their benefit is “unjustified and onerous”.

A major Government job activation scheme has been branded “exploitative” by Sinn Féin.

Almost 15 months after the Government announced it in a budget speech, just 60 of the 3,000 places available on the Gateway job training scheme have been filled.

Having converted a low cross from the right to give Nigeria the lead against Bulgaria, Yekini stood in the goal, arms through the net, hands alternately clenched around the strings and clasped to his face as tears rolled down his cheeks.

DAVY RUSSELL can surely now be described as champion jockey-elect, following a splendid double at Thurles yesterday.

A controversial scheme to fill in 50 acres of Dublin Bay for a port expansion was rejected by planners today over environmental concerns.

BANK of Ireland is seeking judgment orders for €17.4 million against a property developer under personal guarantees provided by him over certain loans to three of his companies.

ALTHOUGH the omens were bad for some time, Dell workers were visibly shaken by the scale of the job losses announced yesterday.

A WET shelter for homeless street drinkers is set to fully open in Cork within weeks.

The Co-op today hailed its return to the big league of food retailing thanks to a £1.6bn (€2bn) takeover of rival Somerfield.

PLANS for a major redevelopment of Cork’s docklands have received a setback due to Government cutbacks.

Personal computer firm Gateway today agreed to be taken over in a deal worth £352m (€520m) with Taiwan's Acer.

A multi-million euro business park next to Belfast International Airport was launched today.

Wall Street fell for a third straight session today as fresh signs of a housing slump triggered concerns that the economy is slowing too fast and could erode corporate profits.

AS a 25-year-old lone parent on a Community Employment (CE) scheme, childcare is one of the biggest issues in Susan Brennan’s life.

US stocks tumbled after Wal-Mart said higher petrol prices has limited customer spending.

Telecom provider Esat BT has appointed Mike Maloney as its new chief operating officer.

Of the 33 IDA-supported companies that left Ireland in 2003, Celestica received the most in State aid, writes Political Reporter Michael O’Farrell.

THE boom is back and the bubble could burst. Work that out if you can. Thanks is due to the Economic Social research Institute for the boom line, while the bubble has had several progenitors.

US gadget lovers trickled into Gateway stores for the last time, picking over nearly-depleted stock on the final day of business for the computer maker’s 188 American stores.

Struggling US computer maker Gateway has announced it is to close all its stores by April 9.

Wall Street’s rally lost momentum as profit-taking set in today, leaving stocks narrowly lower but still allowing the Dow Jones industrials and Nasdaq composite index to post weekly gains for the first time since early March.

Wall Street sold off today after a cautious outlook from Microsoft increased investor concerns that quarterly earnings do not justify current stock price levels.

There was further bad news on the jobs front today with the announcement the Eurologic plant in Dublin is to close.

ALMOST 1,000 job losses were announced yesterday in Dublin and Kildare, with two major hi-tech firms moving operations to the Far East and eastern Europe.

THE WEST Dublin suburb of Blanchardstown was delivered a massive employment blow yesterday with the news that a major employer is to axe up to 650 jobs.

Personal computer manufacturer Gateway has announced it intends to cut its costs by an additional $115m (€106m) to $130m (€119m) a year by combining manufacturing operations and relying more on third-party outsourcers for several operations .

US technology stocks appeared headed for another volatile session in early trading as investors digested the impact of the nation's latest productivity and jobless-benefits reports.