Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil believe the need for emergency laws and a crisis budget to respond to Covid-19 must be assured by a coalition deal and a new government.

Fine Gael TD Alan Farrell says two properties on the same street are empty- one for more than a year.

The growing pains of this vibrant and bustling constituency are clear for all to see.

A strengthening of the right to housing in the Constitution and strict limits on how long a family spends in emergency accommodation are among fresh demands to alleviate homelessness.

TDs and senators had to refund almost €10,000 in expenses this year after an audit found they could not provide supporting evidence to justify claiming such allowances.

The greyhound racing industry has been accused of insulting vulnerable people on health service waiting lists by taking more than €16m a year in State funding - the equivalent of €46,000 every day.

Ireland’s child protection watchdog can give no “cast iron guarantee” the RTÉ creche scandal is not being repeated in other services after it emerged 37 other creches are on a high-risk safety register.

Tusla could be given new powers to shut down sub-standard crèches “immediately” and to tell parents of any investigations they are currently at risk of knowing nothing about.

OFFICIALS from Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, are due before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs on Wednesday to discuss the RTÉ Investigates report on childcare facilities.

Around 100 people protested outside one of the Hyde and Seek creches in Dublin today to show their disgust at the findings of an undercover investigation.

Despite the surging costs, secretary general of Oireachtas services Peter Finnegan said the price tag represents "outstanding" value for the taxpayer.

The Government has been accused of trying to spin the HSE’s funding crisis by “massaging” official figures, after it emerged that the Department of Health ordered senior managers to keep a €198m debt off its books last year.

There are calls for an investment scheme to attract and retain staff in creches around the country.

Garda commissioner, Drew Harris, and senior officers have been accused of putting road users' lives at risk after it emerged that they are failing to stop nine out of every 10 disqualified drivers from continuing to drive on Irish roads.

A documentary comparing the current cardiac scoring of the Down and Meath panels that faced off in the 1991 All-Ireland final has saved a number of lives.

The Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) has lodged an appeal with An Bord Pleanála against plans to develop a large, fast-food, drive-thru restaurant close to a primary school in north Dublin.

Dublin 1-25 Laois 0-10

It’s a good job Dublin don’t execute the perfect performance every time they play. For if they did, the umpires would be going to the UU (Umpire Union) looking for better T&C’s.

A Stephen Cluxton-less Dublin turned in a fine second-half showing to easily see off Laois to claim the county’s eighth Leinster SFC title in a row.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has apologised for eight-week delays in people receiving new passports amid claims some people have missed weddings abroad because of the problems.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has apologised for eight-week delays in people receiving new passports amid claims some people have missed weddings abroad because of the problems.

Pushy sideline parents and over competitive clubs are putting children off sport.

The independent child protection expert who helped uncover the Cloyne clerical abuse scandal should be asked to help the Oireachtas uncover the full extent of the Scouting Ireland scandal.

Politicians across the political divide have claimed there is “more than meets the eye” to the growing Scouting Ireland scandal after the head of the group refused to answer questions at a public Dáil meeting tomorrow.

Scouting Ireland has been criticised for its handling of a rape claim against one of its volunteers, with the chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs saying it had questions to answer.

The Government has been urged to appoint a digital safety commissioner who would be tasked with consulting with social media platforms with a view to strengthening their safety policies for children.

Ireland’s spiralling rental crisis is failing to be addressed because one in every five TDs are landlords and have a clear conflict of interest on the issue, campaigners have warned.

The decision to re-open Stepaside Garda Station has been branded “Del Boy politics” by a member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which has criticised the move.

Children’s rights groups have warned that many families still have to “fight the system” every day to secure adequate services, just as the foster carers of a girl abandoned at birth vied to get the full range of supports she needed.

All eyes will be on Fine Gael’s special parliamentary party meeting this afternoon where TDs and senators will discuss their views on plans to repeal the Eighth Amendment and allow unrestricted access to abortion up to 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Facebook has revealed that in one case it notified gardai when a child signalled online that they might self-harm —and defended its policies regarding public figures amid criticism from TDs and senators.

Eight of the 100 highest earning Irish-based multi-nationals are paying no corporation tax whatsoever, five have a tax bill of less than 1% and others are effectively being paid by the taxman because of serious loopholes in the tax system.

“Our Taoiseach calling a female politician cranky... Not good,” was one message on Twitter on Wednesday evening.

Tensions are rising between the Fine Gael-led Government and Sinn Féin after Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Mary Lou McDonald threw personal taunts at each other across the Dáil chamber.

Sinn Féin Deputy Leader Mary Lou McDonald has been told to leave the Dáil chamber following a fresh clash with the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

A new forum is looking into whether TDs should be curtailed in what they are allowed to say in the Dáil.

Fine Gael TDs are attempting to appease Waterford’s John Deasy after the experienced Fine Gael TD was overlooked for promotion by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

Deeply disappointed Fine Gael TDs have questioned Leo Varadkar’s junior ministerial reshuffle as he faces a backlash over the lack of female appointments.