Sinn Féin faces two crunch votes today on competing plans to back unrestricted access to abortion up to the 12th week of pregnancy or to allow members to formally oppose the official position in a move that could ultimately see at least two pro-life TDs quit the party.

Sinn Féin delegates have voted to allow the party to negotiate with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil after the next election — despite insisting they still want to prioritise forming a “left-wing government” with other parties.

Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy has accused the opposition of using the housing issue to simply “embarrass” the Government and described threats of a motion of no confidence in him as “pure politics” by Sinn Féin.

The threats from Sinn Féin about tabling such a motion appear to be mere sable-rattling ahead of their ard fheis in Belfast this weekend, writes Daniel McConnell

Sinn Féin cannot say how many of its elected members are receiving special pay deals.

A motion of no confidence in HSE director general Tony O’Brien will be brought next week after a Sinn Féin attempt was blocked yesterday.

Mary Lou McDonald has that intangible X-factor that few others in politics have and has used all of her considerable skills — including her attractiveness — to climb the ranks of Sinn Féin in a relatively short time. Like Margaret Thatcher she has exploited her gender positively, making herself the obvious choice to succeed Gerry Adams, writes Daniel McConnell

The Government is to face stiff questioning in the Dáil over the data breach scandal at Independent News and Media (INM) this week, with Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil expected to raise the issue.

Sinn Féin is a party unfit for government and Fine Gael will not be going into power with it, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has said.

Fianna Fáil deputy leader Dara Calleary has said Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is cosying up to Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald, adding that relations between the two parties are warmer now than ever before.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar says he has not “slapped down” minister Jim Daly over his talking up a Fine Gael-Sinn Féin coalition.

Minister Jim Daly has been slapped down again by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar after saying he had no objection to going into Government with Sinn Féin.

Ireland is losing out on up to €200m every year because the profits of the largest bailed-out banks are not taxed, according to Sinn Féin finance spokesman Pearse Doherty.

The Taoiseach has strongly denied claims by David Davis that Sinn Féin is “strongly influencing” the Government in Brexit talks.

The position of President of Ireland should be contested by way of an election, Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald says, adding that her party has plenty of suitable candidates.

Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald said the treatment of the woman at the heart of the Belfast rape trial was “pretty appalling and unfortunate”.

Sinn Féin has suspended a senator for three months after what the party described as “unacceptable Twitter activity” over a murdered prison officer.

Sinn Féin will decide next Monday whether to hold a special national conference to decide if the party will back the Government proposal to allow unrestricted access to abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Sinn Féin’s finance spokesman Pearse Doherty has been appointed as the party’s deputy leader in the Dáil by party president Mary Lou McDonald.

Sinn Féin could suspend pro-life TDs for six months if they refuse to vote in favour of unrestricted access to abortion up to the 12th week of pregnancy should Sinn Féin support the policy.

Outgoing Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has said he regrets the fact that people were killed by the IRA during the Troubles but does not care how history judges him.

Bowing out as leader of Sinn Féin, Gerry Adams’ denial of IRA involvement continues to anger many of his political contemporaries, but all acknowledge his skills in delivering a peace deal, writes Political Reporter Elaine Loughlin.

By teatime on Saturday, Mary Lou McDonald will be president of Sinn Féin. It will have been 35 years since Gerry Adams took over from Ruairí Ó Brádaigh.

Incoming Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald is facing mounting pressure to address bullying in her party after the resignation of yet another elected member.

The numbers could not be more stark, nor more difficult to swallow for die-hard Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil members intent on keeping Sinn Féin in the political wilderness.

Sinn Féin has been rocked by another bitter internal party row, which has seen a leading TD censured and a councillor suspended.

Michelle O'Neill will become the new deputy leader of Sinn Féin after it was confirmed she was the only candidate nominated for the post.

Sinn Féin MP Paul Maskey has condemned the shooting of a man in the Ballymurphy area of Belfast tonight.

Cork’s Lord Mayor joined the country’s top young debaters last night to talk about gender equality not only in Ireland but also in parts of the world where subjugation and slavery continue to blight the lives of girls and women.

Update 2.50pm: The Taoiseach has come out to clarify that he did not receive help to buy his home from his parents and instead got a 100% mortgage.

Belfast’s St Patrick’s Day festival should become a three-day weekend event to rival some of the world’s largest cities, a report from Féile an Phobail said.

Conventional wisdom, that imperfect, inconsistent gauge of our thoughts, suggests voters can be divided into three categories: Those who vote for Sinn Féin, those who might, and those who, no matter what, would never vote for the party.

Sinn Féin’s president-elect, Mary Lou McDonald, has said the party will try to convince unionists that a united Ireland is best for everyone.

Watch as residents of Passage West and Sinn Féin members protested outside the Bus Éireann depot at Capwell, Cork, about the bus service on route 223 to Passage West.

Sinn Féin has failed to say if all of its TDs and senators are taking the industrial wage after it emerged that long-standing TD Dessie Ellis was given a special deal at the depth of the economic crash to take the full €90,000 Dáil salary.

Latest: The Dáil has passed a Sinn Féin motion calling on the government to take more action on the trolley crisis.

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has launched a legal bid to overturn two historical convictions for attempting to escape from prison.

Sinn Féin TD Peadar Tóibín has said it is his understanding that the IRA was responsible for the Kingsmill massacre in which 10 Protestant men were shot dead.

Sinn Féin have done it again, in adding insult to injury. They are always embroiled in controversy and scandal.

This Friday marks the first anniversary of the latest collapse of Stormont.

Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald is set to be named the party’s next leader as soon as January 19 after party officials announced a two-week process for interested candidates to put their name forward to replace current leader Gerry Adams.

Details of powersharing compromises allegedly conceded by the Democratic Unionists and Sinn Féin must be made public, the SDLP leader has said.

The first volume of a new biography of Éamon de Valera delves into such areas as his childhood and also his difficult relationship with Michael Collins, writes Ryle Dwyer.