Former taoiseach John Bruton has warned that Brexit could increase smuggling along the border.

Former Government Ministers received almost €4m in pension payments last year, according to Department of Finance figures.

Despite statements to the contrary by government spokespersons, criticism of the Taoiseach over the Fennelly report is appropriate.

Ministers have been accused of protecting the pensions of senior politicians while raiding those of ordinary citizens to the tune of €2.3bn.

Pension boosts for former taoisigh and ministers will go ahead despite a public backlash as the Government said it could not pick and choose who got the increases.

The detective, who is heading up the investigation into the murder of Cork nurse Karen Buckley, has thanked the Irish public for their support, plans to cut unemployed people’s welfare payments for not paying their water charge bills have been criticised and three things we learned from Barca v Bayern. These are some of the latest and most read news stories on irishexaminer.com this morning.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has been accused of arrogance for insisting he is "very much" worth the €3,564 a week he gets from taxpayers.

The Government has been urged to shorten how long it takes to release secret State papers, over concerns the three-decade delay is creating a “one-sided” history of relations with Britain

The European Central Bank has ruled out sending an official or appearing before the Oireachtas banking inquiry as it prepares to begin hearings today.

Former presidents, taoisigh and cabinet colleagues have paid tributes to peacemaker and former taoiseach Albert Reynolds, who died after a long illness.

Radical reforms on reducing pay and pensions for politicians, term limits for ministers, and limiting Government powers have been proposed by a group of Independent TDs and senators.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has predicted former taoisigh will willingly participate in a parliamentary inquiry into the banking collapse.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny expects taoisigh will appear before the long-awaited Oireachtas banking inquiry, which is expected to begin hearings in advance of next year’s European and local elections.

Health Minister James Reilly faces calls to reverse planned cuts of €666m to his department and services next year, amid claims that the Coalition is ramming through flawed spending estimates.

The head of Barnardos and former Labour party advisor Fergus Finlay has said Enda Kenny will not thank former Taoiseach John Bruton for his intervention in the row over abortion legislation.

Mileage rates for ministers will be cut by 10% to take into account any travel for personal reasons.

The long-awaited final report from the Mahon Tribunal is expected to be published today with recommendations on the need for legislative changes to planning laws.

Former Taoisigh are no longer entitled to claim a range of expenses as part of a scheme under which Bertie Ahern billed for more than €360,000 in secretarial costs since 2008.

TAXPAYERS will no longer have to foot the bill for the mobile phones or secretarial assistance for former taoisigh, while access to VIP airport facilities will also be withdrawn.

TONIGHT I’m taking the opportunity to speak to you directly on the challenge we face as a community, as an economy, and as a country.

Until now, the current Government has been getting away with blaming the last government.

ENDA KENNY will deliver a “state of the nation” address on television tomorrow night about the budget and the eurozone crisis.

Michael D Higgins has officially become the ninth President of Ireland having signed the Declaration of Office at the inauguration ceremony in Dublin Castle today.

PITY poor Gay Mitchell. At the weekend, his campaign to be elected President received a serious blow. He was effectively endorsed by Bertie Ahern.

BERTIE AHERN has submitted monthly expense claims for use of secretaries from employment agencies despite having a full-time secretary paid for by the state.

FORMER taoisigh Bertie Ahern, Albert Reynolds, John Bruton, Garrett FitzGerald and Liam Cosgrave will lose their state cars within months under cost-cutting measures announced by the Government.

Fine Gael has said it will halve the number of ministerial cars and replace Garda drivers with civilians if elected.

FIANNA Fáil has essentially ousted its last five party leaders while serving Taoisigh. Recently, Vincent Browne was asking on TV3 whether this is indicative of something radically wrong within Fianna Fáil.

A top loyalist leader heaped praise on Charles Haughey for his stand against the Provisional IRA.

THERE is a group of people in this country, and I am sure in most other countries, who appear to have slipped under the radar with the advance of time.

HAVE you ever wondered what would drive you on to the streets?

A TAOISEACH should be automatically re-elected to the Dáil at the end of his or her term, Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin has suggested.

TRIBUTES were paid last night to a Irish civil servant, Dermot Nally, who played a key role in the peace process. Mr Nally died suddenly last night in St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin, aged 82.

THE perk of full-time garda-driven state cars for four former taoisigh cost the taxpayer almost €800,000 last year.

BRIAN COWEN and Bertie Ahern should be summoned before a televised Oireachtas inquiry to explain their role in the banking crisis, Government politicians have said.

I BELIEVE that recent criticisms of Lucinda Creighton were far too harsh.

The tone of the briefing document circulated to members of the Seanad before their recent appearance on The Late Late Show raises many questions.

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen announced at the Ard Fheis that Fianna Fáil would be joining the Liberals in the European Parliament after the elections in June.

Labour's justice spokesperson Pat Rabbitte has said it is time to end the practice whereby each government minister is escorted around the country by a garda driver.

Opposition politicians today dismissed a surge in Fianna Fáil support as an inevitable ’Brian Cowen bounce’ that wouldn’t last.

BERTIE AHERN will still retain much of the income and perks of his job, if not the power and influence, when he resigns as Taoiseach on May 6.

FIANNA FÁIL yesterday launched a bizarre defence of the Taoiseach’s extraordinary salary by claiming that 13,000 people out of a workforce of nearly two million earn more money than he does.

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern is almost certain to escape having to make a potentially embarrassing appearance at the Planning Tribunal before the General Election is called.

ONE of Kerry’s oldest hotels is due to close this weekend for a major facelift over the winter and spring months.