There must be a general election in the air…..as TDs’ attendance for votes in the Dáil has dropped significantly in recent months.

It took three days and 19 rounds of counting to elect five Wicklow TDs in 2011.

Renua deputy leader Billy Timmins has denied the party is “ripping off” Fianna Fáil policies.

Renua Ireland has described claims it only has €11,000 "left in the kitty" as "creative" newspaper editing, but declined to explain exactly how much money it has available.

The first eight candidates to run for Renua Ireland in the upcoming general election have been confirmed.

Sinn Féin and Renua Ireland have both insisted they are in pole position to claim the fifth seat in the general election after positive showings in the Carlow Kilkenny byelection.

Renua is dominated by former minister Lucinda Creighton, though she says the party is bigger than just one person.

With less than a year to win back disillusioned voters, Kenny and Co have an uphill battle ahead

The launch of a new political party is due to be announced this morning by former Minister of State and Fine Gael TD Lucinda Creighton.

The four people that Maíria Cahill accused of subjecting her to a "kangaroo court" over her claims that she was raped by a IRA member have refused to meet Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

More than €23m has been handed over to the Government during the tax amnesty for second homes.

Radical reforms on reducing pay and pensions for politicians, term limits for ministers, and limiting Government powers have been proposed by a group of Independent TDs and senators.

A member of the 'Reform Alliance' of former Fine Gael TDs has denied the group is about to become a political party.

The Rehab Group has not provided Justice Minister Alan Shatter with recent profits from its controversial scratch card game, despite receiving over €6m in public funding and providing assurances there was “complete transparency” over the running and costs of all of its lottery games.

If media exposure equalled political success then surely Lucinda Creighton would be fast-tracked to the office of the Taoiseach by now.

New political grouping The Reform Alliance, which is due to be registered with the Standards in Public Office Commission in coming days, is holding a conference at the end of this month.

Pre-tax profits at a private hospital co-owned by beef baron Larry Goodman and developer Sean Mulryan last year rose by 4% to €2.66m.

Former banker consultant Peter Mathews has resigned from the Fine Gael party.

The granting of Dáil speaking time to rebel government party TDs has angered other opposition groups who have had their own speaking slots reduced due to the measure agreed by the Ceann Comhairle.

The fallout between Taoiseach Enda Kenny the seven rebel “Reform Alliance” TDs and senators showed no sign of abating yesterday after Mr Kenny said he wasn’t interested in “superfluous conversations” which had nothing to do with the problems Ireland faces every day.

Fine Gael rebel Lucinda Creighton has said her new grouping, Reform Alliance, which is holding a think-in in Dublin today will “speak its own mind in the Dáil” and “vote in the best interests of the country”.

The prospect of disaffected Fine Gael and Labour elected TDs joining forces to secure greater Dáil rights has grown stronger after two from either group held discussions.

Fine Gael rebels kicked out of the party over the abortion legislation have vowed to join forces on the opposition benches as the Coalition scrambles to win important votes in the Seanad.

The Labour Party has taken in almost €100,000 in Dáil allowances in respect of the five TDs who have lost the party whip and moved to the opposition benches.

Fine Gael rebels have denied threatening to set up a right-wing party in order to try and bounce Enda Kenny into allowing them a bigger role in the Dáil.

A political splinter group made up of ex-Fine Gael TDs is believed to be forming under former minister Lucinda Creighton.

Rebel TDs kicked out of Fine Gael for opposing the abortion legislation could be let back into the parliamentary party after a period of time, according to a junior minister.

Expelled Fine Gael TDs resisted efforts by Leinster House ushers to move them out of their party offices and into different locations following their expulsion from the parliamentary party.

When Enda Kenny used the ‘crosier’ of the parliamentary party whip to bully Fine Gael TDs into supporting his abortion Bill, and he ‘excommunicated’ from the Fine Gael parliamentary party Deputies Lucinda Creighton, Terence Flanagan, Peter Mathews, Billy Timmins and Brian Walsh for honouring Fine Gael’s general election pledge not to introduce abortion legislation, there were very few criticisms of his actions by media commentators.

The final Dáil vote saw 31 TDs oppose the X case legislation as numbers were swelled by left-wing deputies protesting that the new law was not liberal enough.

Lucinda Creighton insisted she had stayed true to Fine Gael’s values after she was kicked out of the parliamentary party for voting against the abortion legislation.

Lucinda Creighton has lost the Fine Gael party whip after voting against the Government in the abortion debate tonight.

A final Dáil vote on legislation allowing abortion in certain circumstances is expected to take place later today after TDs failed to conclude all stages despite a marathon all-night sitting.

The legislation allowing abortion in limited circumstances was about “the internal politics of Fine Gael” and cohesion in the Coalition rather than the protection of women, the Dáil has heard.

It now looks increasingly likely that the European Affairs Minister Lucinda Creighton will be the only TD to revolt on abortion legislation tonight.

Rebel minister Lucinda Creighton faces a vote for her political future today when she must decide whether to back the abortion legislation.

The Health Minister has denied politicians were bullied into voting for the new contentious abortion legislation.

Up to 30,000 protesters took to the streets of Dublin today against the contentious new abortion legislation.

European Affairs Minister Lucinda Creighton has proposed far-reaching changes to the abortion legislation in a move that signals she will oppose the bill during a final Dáil vote next week.