Leo Varadkar has never been shy about his ambitions.

Leo Varadkar’s supporters are defying overtures from Simon Coveney’s camp to change their position with one TD declaring he would not “commit political suicide” and reverse his stance.

Marriage equality campaigners will have to wait “a decade or more” for another “opportunity” to introduce the legal change if the electorate fails to vote yes in next month’s referendum.

The guide on the Marriage Equality Referendum published by Young Fine Gael advises the proposition ‘will not affect children, or their rights in any way, shape or form’; that marriage is a unique legal status; that religious marriage is ‘a ceremony in a church’ but legally binding civil marriage has nothing to do with religion.

A no result in the marriage equality referendum would send out a “bad message internationally” to those who want to come and work in Ireland, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs has said.

Ireland has one of the highest ages of consent in the EU. And until recently, Vatican City had the lowest, reports Peter O’Dwyer.

Teachers should correct their own students’ Junior Certificate exam papers, the head of the country’s second-level principals has suggested as almost 59,000 students get their results this morning.

The Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland has said it would cost the State more if the €95m annual subsidy to fee-paying schools was withdrawn.

The late Fine Gael leader and taoiseach Garret FitzGerald used a close ancestral connection with US president Ronald Reagan to help sway Margaret Thatcher towards the Anglo-Irish agreement.

Second-level teachers should be obliged to correct and supervise exams — which cost the State €30m annually — with no extra remuneration, Young Fine Gael has said.

The youth branch of the country’s biggest political party is seeking the legalisation of marijuana for medical purposes.

Garret FitzGerald used Ireland’s long history of emigration to gain an advantage over Margaret Thatcher during often tense negotiations over the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement, his son has revealed.

Members of Young Fine Gael have gathered in Co Offaly today for the group's 25th national conference.

IN response to Sean de Paor (Letters, July 26), I would like to point out that Young Fine Gael held its national conference in Charleville, Co Cork, last November, with 500 young people from all over Ireland in attendance.

The upcoming Presidential election will be the main focus at the Young Fine Gael Assembly today.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny will be in Charleville, County Cork this afternoon to address a Young Fine Gael conference.

THE governing body of University College Cork (UCC) wants the controversial €65 graduation fee scrapped, a prominent governor said.

THE president of University College Cork (UCC) is due to meet students leaders today as opposition mounts against controversial plans to introduce a €65 graduation fee.

STUDENTS staged a protest at University College Cork (UCC) yesterday over the planned introduction of a €65 graduation fee.

Fine Gael Leader Enda Kenny TD has today announced that the party will be holding Lisbon meetings right across the country tomorrow.

IRISH politics is famously full of “cute hoors”.

THERE would have to be a monumental meltdown for Fianna Fáil if the party was to lose either of its two sitting councillors in the Fermoy area.

SOCIAL welfare recipients will not get a Christmas bonus payment this year while jobseekers under the age of 20 will have their welfare allowance halved to €100 a week.

ANGRY debate was avoided at the conference when controversial proposals to give party headquarters greater control over election candidates were deferred until the autumn.

Members of Young Fine Gael are to hold a debate on youth unemployment this morning, at their national conference in Athlone.

Members of Young Fine Gael are gathering in Co. Westmeath today for their annual national conference.

A Government minister today insisted he was right to restrain a protesting student after a noisy demonstration over education cutbacks turned nasty.

Young Fine Gael is holding its annual summer school in Co Louth today.

Young Fine Gael has passed an emergency motion at its national conference calling for the resignation of Mary Harney and Professor Brendan Drum.

THE announcement that Fianna Fáil is to consider the possibility of becoming an all-island party is to be welcomed. Northern Ireland is a small place and nationalists should be able to vote for several all-island parties.

Fine Gael will today hold its annual pre-Dáil parliamentary meeting.

Young Fine Gael is calling on the Government to improve services for people suffering from eating disorders .

The ninth Young Fine Gael Summer School is taking place this weekend in Co Clare.

A nationwide network of youth cafes should be set up to divert teenagers away from alcohol, drugs and anti-social behaviour, Young Fine Gael will claim today.

Young Fine Gael is calling on the Government to put more money into sexual assault treatment units.

A campaign to encourage more young people to vote will be launched today by Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny.

The Taoiseach is depicted as a Grinch character in a Young Fine Gael poster campaign, it emerged today.

A dozen members from young Fine Gael made the long walk from Galway to Ennis today to raise funds for suicide awareness.

OUR young people are key targets of rip-off Ireland, a new consumer survey confirms.

ONE person in Ireland attempts suicide every 45 minutes, Fine Gael claimed yesterday at the launch of a campaign to tackle the problem.

Young Fine Gael has accused the Government of failing to treat the problem of suicide and self-harm among young people with the gravity it deserves.

A motion to lower the legal drinking age is to be discussed by the youth wing of Fine Gael at its annual conference today.

Young Fine Gael says third-level courses need to be updated to ensure that college-leavers’ qualifications are relevant to the workplace.

PAUL KINSELLA says he agrees with Young Fine Gael’s call to lower the legal drinking age to 16 (Irish Examiner letters, August 16).