From May 23-26, Irish voters will be thinking about the environment, immigration, spending imbalances, and an EU army, says Political Correspondent Juno McEnroe.

As the Houses of the Oireachtas gear up for Vótáil 100, the official commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the parliamentary vote for women in Ireland this year, the 2016 CSO figures demonstrate the continuing under-representation of women at political level nationally and locally.

One third of the 98 bee species in Ireland are threatened with extinction while three-quarters of the country’s wild plants require insect pollinators.

Restrictions on reuniting refugees with loved ones are “creating mentally-ill children of the future”, senators have warned.

Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone has backed calls for the abortion referendum to be held by February 2018 after saying the Oireachtas committee tasked with setting its scope does not need six months to decide.

A Seanad amendment to ban profitable companies from winding up workers’ pensions schemes has been ruled out of order.

Seanad members have said they are not at fault for the decision to allow the Upper House to break for another week, after meeting for just three hours during its first business since the election.

Several of Enda Kenny’s loyal senators lost their seats or were last night fighting for their survival.

Padraig MacLochlainn, Jerry Buttimer, and Michael McNamara are among the failed Dáil candidates putting their names forward for the Seanad. 

Although the outcome of the general election has yet to be decided with counts beginning today, another group are now looking to a different election.

The gender pay gap means that the average Irish woman has just another week’s wages between now and the new year, while her male counterpart continues to be paid for the full 52 weeks.

Pension system must value the contribution of women and ensure they are not confined to poverty, says Alice Mary Higgins.

Labour will struggle to avoid wipe-out in next year’s European elections after revised constituency boundaries add geographical difficulties to their low opinion poll ratings.

SO Ireland has a new head of state.

LABOUR leader Eamon Gilmore believes his party is about to “recast the political map of this country”.

WE are writing to add our voices to the concerns expressed by many regarding the recent Immigration Bill, which has been, rightly, denounced as bad law, out of step with equivalent legislation elsewhere and dangerously lacking in any form of monitoring.