Opposition parties are urging the Government to reject proposals to cut child benefit in the budget.

The Sinn Féin TD Aengus O'Snódaigh has said he will cooperate with any investigation into his use of more than €50,000 worth of printer ink from the Dáil.

Sinn Féin TD Aengus O'Snódaigh has today defended his past use of Dáil printer ink cartridges, after he ran up a bill of €50,000 bill over a two-year period, at the cost of the taxpayer.

Sinn Féin are calling on the Government to make radical changes to revenue and licensing terms governing oil and gas exploration.

Sinn Féin is pledging to scrap the Universal Social Charge and replace it with a 48% tax on high earners.

Up to 50 people are staging a protest outside Government Buildings to oppose the four-year austerity plan.

The Sinn Féin Social Protection spokesman is calling on the Government to re-instate the Christmas bonus payment.

There are calls for the ESB to reverse plans to raise prices and instead slash them.

Sinn Féin TD Aengus O'Snodaigh is calling on politicians with bank shares to absent themselves from the debate on NAMA in the Dáil next week.

Opposition parties have given a mixed reaction to the contents of the Bord Snip Nua report, which recommends around €5.3bn worth of public spending cuts.

Two Irish politicians are taking part in an international fact-finding mission to the Gaza Strip today.

Murder squad detectives were tonight hunting a three-man gang after a shooting left one man dead and another injured.

Sinn Féin says the Government must fund a number of social housing schemes in Dublin following the withdrawal of the private developer who was due to complete the projects.

Sinn Féin is protesting outside the Minister for Health's office in Clondalkin in Dublin this afternoon in the hope of securing the future of Crumlin Children’s Hospital.

The Irish Government must protect the rights of Irish speakers in the North, it was claimed today.

Sinn Féin has today called for the disbandment of the Garda Special Branch in a new set of proposals relating to the policing in the Republic.

Labour candidate Eric Byrne has conceded defeat in Dublin South Central.

Labour's Mary Upton has won the third seat in Dublin South Central.

Labour's Tommy Broughan, Terrence Flannagan of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil's Michael Woods have been elected on the fourth count in Dublin North-East.

Just 14 seats now remain to be filled across seven constituencies in the General Election count.

The Labour Party's Liz Mc Manus and Fine Gael duo Billy Timmins and Andrew Doyle have picked up the final three Dáil seats in the Wicklow constituency this morning.

The Labour Party's Liz McManus has held her seat in Wicklow, bringing the party's total representation so far to 17 TDs.

The Court of Criminal Appeal has reserved judgement on appeals by five Dublin men, described by a garda chief superintendent as members of the Dublin Brigade of the Provisional IRA, against their convictions for membership of an illegal organisation.

A Dublin Sinn Féin member who was jailed for four years for IRA membership and who was freed on bail last month pending an appeal went back to prison voluntarily today.

A Dublin Sinn Féin member who was jailed for four years for IRA membership was freed on bail by the Court of Criminal Appeal today pending the outcome of a legal challenge to anti terrorist legislation.

Fears are mounting that a planned anti-war protest at Shannon Airport today will lead to violence and vandalism.

Sinn Fein has condemned the Government's decision to deploy 120 armed soldiers to protect US military planes passing through Shannon Airport in Co Clare.

A Sinn Fein representative in the Dail was meeting members of a riot-stricken Belfast community today in a bid to pressurise Downing Street into acting against the violence.

Sinn Fein today announced portfolios for its five members in the Irish Republic’s Parliament following its recent gains at the general election.

The Green Party and Sinn Fein have criticised the Government’s proposed wording for a referendum bid to reverse last year’s rejection of the Nice Treaty in a nationwide poll.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is preparing to return to power after a resounding general election victory.