All Fine Gael members selected to run in the next general election will gather today, adding to speculation that Leo Varadkar is preparing to go to the country.

Michael Noonan’s handling of the case of ‘Grace’ while health minister and the role of his department in the 1990s will be the subject of commission of investigation hearings early in the new year, an interim report states.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan has branded suggestions he should resign due to his role in the Grace foster abuse case as “ridiculous”, insisting he has “nothing to do” with the scandal, writes Fiachra O'Cionnaith and Daniel McConnell

Finance Minister Michael Noonan has branded suggestions he should resign due to his role in the Grace foster abuse case as “ridiculous”, insisting he has “nothing to do” with the scandal.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan’s handling of the Grace case while he was health minister featured prominently at a meeting of Fine Gael ministers before Cabinet this week, the Irish Examiner has learned.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan’s handling of the Grace case in the 1990s while he was health minister is to be investigated by the long-awaited commission of investigation into the foster abuse scandal.

Gardaí are investigating Michael Noonan’s handing of the ‘Grace’ case when he was Minister for Health after receiving a complaint.

The foster father of Grace directly lobbied Michael Noonan when he was minister for health, claiming she was in a “happy and secure” home.

Since early February, Finance Minister Michael Noonan has sidestepped questions over whether he had any role in the decision 20 years ago to allow a woman with significant intellectual disabilities to remain at an abusive foster home.

Minister accused of trying to evade foster home abuse families

Austin Currie, a former junior health minister, insists he acted appropriately in the handling of sex-abuse allegations in the 1990s.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan “did not want” to know about sex abuse allegations involving children while he was health minister in the 1990s, a former Fine Gael colleague has claimed.

Ireland’s three living presidents shared a massive €799,181.03c pension, salary and allowance pot last year — and returned just €91,081.96c to the hard-pressed public they serve.

Michael Collins’s vision of Ireland as a centre of economic excellence has been compared by many commentators both to our Celtic Tiger excess and our current woes, writes John Daly

IF opinion polls are even partially correct, there’ll be serious head scratching amongst political insiders. The phenomenal rise and rise of Sean Gallagher has confounded pundits and political parties. At the close of nominations, a month ago, his ratings tallied at 9% to 12% - fifth place. Nothing emerged that adds to his CV.

IN 1997 I sent a letter to your newspaper regarding many commentators who questioned the right of Belfast-born Mary McAleese to run for the Presidency of Ireland.

BRIAN LENIHAN was a chip off the old block. His father, Brian Snr, also enjoyed a distinguished career as a parliamentarian and government minister. Both were barristers, and both fought general elections in the throes of serious illness. Both died young, taken while still in public service.

CHILDREN are “largely invisible” to a civil service which is “excessively bureaucratic” and “disconnected” from people’s lives.

The Government paid SDLP chiefs top-class expenses and mileage during the 1970s, it was revealed today.

PRESIDENT Mary McAleese praised the courage of abuse victims, even though she has been criticised for “avoiding” meetings with one survivor representative in the past.

The President today honoured the North’s civil rights movement for sparking a worldwide citizens’ crusade for equality and dignity.

AN Irish Press reporter was watching a police water cannon vehicle moving into position. He had never seen one in action before.

Former politicians John Hume and Austin Currie are to be jointly honoured for their role in the North's civil rights movement.

THE announcement by the British government that it is to examine unsolved murders that occurred during the Troubles in the North yet again throws into sharp relief the lack of a thorough response from the Government to issues that have yet to be addressed here in the South.

GIVEN the depth of unionist paranoia over powersharing with nationalists, it is not surprising there has been a spate of resignations from the DUP over sharing power with Sinn Féin?

Old rivals united across Northern Ireland’s political divide today for the funeral of the co-founder and first leader of the SDLP, Gerry Fitt.

GLOWING tributes have been paid to Gerry Fitt, the first leader of the SDLP, who died yesterday at the age of 79 following a long period of illness.

Lord Fitt, one of Northern Ireland’s fiercest critics of the IRA and the first leader of the SDLP, died today.

I WORKED for a couple of years with Frank Dunlop. Not a lot of people are prepared to admit that.

A new book on Austin Currie’s cross-border political career will set the record straight on key political events of the time, it was claimed today.

FORMER SDLP leader John Hume was suspected by RUC Special Branch of spying for the Irish Government at the time of Bloody Sunday, it was claimed yesterday.

A secret document compiled by the RUC Special Branch claimed that former SDLP leader John Hume and three colleagues worked as agents of the Irish Government at the time of Bloody Sunday.

THE Labour Party likes to spin a tale about how it single-handedly ‘transformed’ the office of the President.

THERE’s a consensus beginning to develop, and I think it’s condescending, patronising, and maybe even a bit dangerous.

SINN FÉIN is accused of trying to rewrite history with the recreation of a famous Catholic civil rights march in the North.

Former Fine Gael TD Austin Currie has criticised Sinn Féin for recreating a famous civil rights march in the North.

THE widow of former CIÉ chief executive Michael McDonnell is suing Oireachtas members who investigated multi-million euro cost overruns on a rail signalling system.

Michael Noonan has said he is resigning as leader of Fine Gael with immediate effect.

Fine Gael’s Austin Currie has announced his retirement from politics.

There is speculation today that disgraced TD Liam Lawlor, who is currently serving a seven-day sentence in Mountjoy Prison, will not run in the next general election.