THE Government has voted down a proposal to cap top bankers’ salaries so they could earn no more than the minister for finance.

THE Government let down Dell workers by failing to properly prepare the mid-west for the computer giant’s long-expected partial pullout, opposition parties last night claimed.

THE Government was yesterday called on to take action over the refusal of the HSE to give funding to maintain services provided by the Brothers of Charity in Limerick and Clare to intellectually disabled adults.

ARRESTS for gangland crimes have increased by more than 50% in recent months with gardaí arresting 224 people a week as a result of the crackdown on organised crime.

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen has requested a personal briefing from the Garda commissioner on the gangland crime problem in Limerick following the murder of Shane Geoghegan.

LIMERICK is facing another health scandal, it was claimed yesterday.

THE Government was yesterday accused of stalling a significant plan to revive the declining fortunes of industry and tourism in the mid-west.

EMBATTLED Health Minister Mary Harney faces a vote of no confidence when the Dáil resumes on Tuesday following stinging criticism from opposition parties yesterday.

The new deputy leader of the Irish Labour Party will be announced today.

Dun Laoghaire TD Eamon Gilmore today became the tenth Labour leader with a pledge to make his party become more relevant to modern voters.

Another veteran Labour TD has thrown his weight behind Eamon Gilmore's campaign for the leadership of the party.

Labour TD Eamon Gilmore today officially entered the race to become the next leader of his party and pledged to win "close to 30 seats" at the next general election.

There is speculation that Eamonn Gilmore may officially throw his hat into the ring for the leadership of the Labour Party today.

The Government tonight dismissed calls from a senior Cabinet minister to force Aer Lingus to reverse its controversial cutback plan at Shannon.

Cabinet Minister Willie O’Dea today insisted the Government should, if necessary, use its shares in Aer Lingus to overthrow plans for a partial pull-out of Shannon.

The Labour Party is calling on Aer Lingus to reverse its decision to end the Shannon to London route.

TRANSPORT Minister Martin Cullen was urged yesterday to abandon plans for a road toll of a new underwater tunnel in Limerick.

Minister of State Tim O’Malley should resign over remarks he made about mental health waiting lists for children, the Dáil heard tonight.

A former city manager has been appointed to tackle social exclusion and crime in the troubled Moyross area of Limerick, it was confirmed today.

CABINET Minister Willie O’Dea is to meet senior gardaí in Limerick today to discuss the law and order situation in the wake of the suspected petrol bomb attack which left two children in a critical condition.

More than 1,000 demonstrators today called on the Government to stop allowing the US to use Shannon Airport for military stopovers.

Education spokeswoman Jan O’Sullivan has become one of the first Labour candidates chosen to contest the next general election, the party announced today.

ASSISTANT Government chief whip Billy Kelleher yesterday indicated that Limerick City Council will be on its own if a €50 million damages claim goes against it.

LIMERICK City Council is facing financial ruin after an arbitrator ruled yesterday that a contractor was wrongly fired from the city’s main drainage scheme.

Fianna Fáil was making frantic efforts to keep a Limerick East TD on side today amid concerns he would quit the party if Det Garda Jerry McCabe’s killers are released.

FINE GAEL TDs David Stanton from Cork East and Paul Kehoe from Wexford are expected to be among the new faces on the party frontbench when Enda Kenny confirms his general election lineup tomorrow.

LIMERICK’s crime crisis can be blamed on the Government’s failure to fulfil its election promise to recruit 2,000 extra gardaí, opposition parties claimed last night.

CHEMISTS should be restricted to owning just one shop, Junior Health Minister Tim O'Malley said yesterday.

FINANCE Minister Charlie McCreevy last night defended the 3% increase to the education budget next year and stressed the Government had given the sector €2.4bn extra over the years 1997-2003.

LABOUR leader Pat Rabbitte gave top jobs to the party’s old guard on his front bench yesterday in a bid to heal internal dissent over the prominence of former Democratic Left colleagues within the party.

Micheal Noonan has announced his intention to resign as leader of Fine Gael.