The judge at the helm of the Garda Ombudsman has said GSOC has at times been “left adrift in a sea of legislative sludge without a paddle”, and looked forward to members of an Oireachtas committee “taking on the role of the O’Donovan brothers” and paddling the watchdog to clearer waters.

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has admitted he “made a mistake” when he said he would resign as party leader ahead of the next general election.

Opposition parties have taken their first shot at the new Government, claiming that it is “built on sand”, is “doomed to failure”, and is based on “shambolic grubby little deals” that belittle any talk of reform.

Sinn Féin TDs are in favour of scrapping the party’s industrial wage pay cap, which would more than double their pay overnight, saying there is no point in forcing politicians to stay in “poverty” in order to keep them “pure”.

The first test of politicians’ claimed new-found interest in reform will take place this morning when five long-standing TDs fight it out to become the next ceann comhairle of the Dáil.

Dublin Central Independent TD Maureen O’Sullivan looks likely to seek the position of ceann comhairle on Thursday.

Almost one in five children waiting more than a month for a dedicated social worker is in serious danger of neglect and physical or sexual abuse, it has emerged.

Tánaiste Joan Burton has warned revelations the Provisional IRA is involved in criminality despite moving away from linked paramilitary acts is an “insidious threat” to the peace process that offers its victims no closure.

Good evening. Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today.

The health minister has confirmed that the closure of small maternity units is being considered.

A Sinn Féin TD who became embroiled in a high-profile row in the Dáil after it emerged that his brother was a homeless heroin addict has revealed that his sibling is now clean.

Politicians have insisted Ireland will not be “bullied” into cancelling plans to impose plain cigarette packaging by May 2017, despite a multi-million euro legal threat from one of the world’s largest tobacco firms to scrap the bill by Friday.

A TD and his mother narrowly avoided becoming victims of Ireland’s ambulance crisis after phone calls for help were met with major delays — a year after his wife’s brother died in circumstances where there had been a delay in the arrival of an ambulance.

The HSE is in the process of commissioning a second review into the death two years ago of a baby boy at Cavan General Hospital.

New health minister Leo Varadkar has been accused of selling out patients to win over doctor support for the Government’s "free" GP care plan, after suggesting the policy may now involve a €5-10 "nominal" fee.

Universal health insurance could cost €3,600 a year for an average family, opponents have warned.

Patients suffering as a result of self-harm or suicide attempts should be provided with an alternative access to hospital than the general Accident and Emergency system.

The Taoiseach has today signalled that there will be no re-imbursement of money to people who are getting their discretionary medical card returned.

A second baby death is under investigation at Cavan General Hospital after a newborn delivered on Tuesday died yesterday.

The treatment of vulnerable people losing discretionary medical cards has been criticised by a back-bench Fine Gael TD during a Dáil debate which heard a number of cases where seriously ill children and adults had their cards withdrawn.

The number of discretionary medical cards in the country is 30% less than what it was just three years ago — despite fresh Government insistence there has been no unfair cull on the service.

The Garda whistleblowers deserve an apology from the Taoiseach over the way they’ve been systematically “smeared”, according to opposition parties.

A Government report into the needless deaths of newborn babies at Portlaoise Hospital has been described as “reeking of whitewash” by a leading senator and doctor.

Plans to cut the

Ten staff members at a children’s detention centre have been on sick leave for more than a year, it has emerged.

Ten members of staff at a children’s detention centre have been on sick leave for more than a year, it has emerged.

ALL of the obnoxious wrongs being revealed at Anglo Irish Bank do not make the equally abhorrent actions of the Quinn family right.

The findings of the probe into Savita Halappanavar’s death provoked alarm across the political spectrum.

The audio recording of a frantic 999 call will play a key role in establishing why an available ambulance was not sent to help a critically injured toddler who had fallen from an upstairs window.

A group representing 200 women who suffered a discredited procedure during childbirth has called on the Government to support a private member’s bill in the Dáil next week to facilitate their action against hospitals.

An elderly woman who was the victim of a brutal medical procedure more than 60 years ago has said she was treated worse than an animal.

The number of children and teenagers who died of unnatural causes while in the care of the HSE more than doubled last year.

Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty said the budget implements the same failed policies that were seen when Fianna Fáil were in power.

A baby who died after being transferred from Cavan General Hospital to a neonatal unit in Dublin is understood to have been the firstborn of the couple involved.

Sinn Féin health spokesperson Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD has announced that the party will table a motion of no confidence in Health Minister James Reilly on the resumption of the Dáil.

Opponents to the EU fiscal treaty have hit back at Government claims that EU leaders have agreed not to change the treaty after Ireland votes on it next week.

Health Minister Dr James Reilly has told the HSE to establish more public hospital groups around the country in preparation for the establishment of hospital trusts.

SERIOUS delays in the processing of medical cards have been denied by the HSE, which maintains that statistics back up what it is saying.

Sinn Féin's Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin has described Budget 2012 as "both cruel and futile".

The Government is to introduce new legislation next year to allow public hospitals to raise charges for private patients in public hospitals, it was announced today.

A PLEDGE on Roscommon County Hospital was made by the Taoiseach Enda Kenny in good faith, Minister of State for Europe Affairs Lucinda Creighton said yesterday.

Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Health Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin is calling on the Taoiseach to honour his election commitment to the people of Roscommon, to retain the Emergency Department at Roscommon County Hospital.

CLOSE to 600 patients in need of life-saving cancer and dialysis treatment face no longer being ferried to and from treatment by ambulance due to cutbacks in patient transport services.