The Oireachtas Justice Committee will tomorrow be asked to consider establishing a specialist division of courts as part of family law reform.

The high-profile Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has come under fire from another committee for straying beyond its remit and inquiring into areas in the prison services.

Garda commissioner Drew Harris has expressed fears that dissident republicans would use a hard border post-Brexit as a “rallying call” for terrorism.

The head of the Garda Inspectorate has said it needs to have the power to conduct unannounced spot checks on Garda stations and “not to have to make an appointment to visit”.

The establishment of an independent mechanism for the consideration of prisoner complaints, the development of mother-and-baby units within the Irish prison system, a reform of the parole system, and the replacing of fines with ‘victim surcharges’ are just some of the recommendations contained in a report, titled Penal Reform and Sentencing, published yesterday.

Earlier this week, Assistant Commissioner Pat Leahy said 522 people had been warned by An Garda Síochána that their lives were in danger from criminals.

Several ministers have rejected calls for Attorney General Seamus Woulfe to be shown “the red card” over his comments at a lunch last Friday.

Senior Garda management figures have been accused of a blatant “cover-up” and criticised for “attacking and belittling” two civilian officers over false homicide figures.

The Garda’s top statistician twice sought, in vain, to get access to a Garda report for the Policing Authority on homicide figures — and was only granted sight of it a week-and-a-half after a public meeting with the authority.

Fianna Fáil has accused Communications Minister Denis Naughten of acting like ‘ Comical Ali’ by refusing to allow an immediate review of the Government’s broadband plan because he believes it is still on track.

Senior gardaí estimate it would cost almost €7m over a period of 28 years to examine all Garda phone calls recording breath tests.

Three people have been arrested after a garda and a civilian were shot during a planned search of a house in Dublin.

Oireachtas members have severely criticised the acting chief of the Department of Justice for insisting the department had “fully complied” with initial discovery orders issued by the Charleton Tribunal.

The email accounts of former minister for justice Frances Fitzgerald and her political advisers were not examined in the recent trawl for documents relevant to the Charleton Tribunal.

Fine Gael and Sinn Féin were accused of acting in “coalition” yesterday after they joined forces to stop a Fianna Fáil change to the Judicial Appointments Bill.

Sections of recent Dáil debates and international statements made by the Taoiseach threw up some interesting statistics.

A Policing Authority report on the breath test scandal is due to say there was a “culture of expectation” in the force to keep figures high.

Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan has admitted that there is a “crisis of confidence” in the Garda Síochána.

The possibility of a historic split of Ireland’s security and policing systems could be included as part of the Government’s imminent root and branch review of the gardaí.

Sinn Féin does choreography very well, writes Political Editor Daniel McConnell.

The judge at the helm of the Garda Ombudsman has said GSOC has at times been “left adrift in a sea of legislative sludge without a paddle”, and looked forward to members of an Oireachtas committee “taking on the role of the O’Donovan brothers” and paddling the watchdog to clearer waters.

The Government has been accused of pulling a “highly disrespectful bureaucratic stroke” by blocking a Fianna Fáil bill on judicial appointments at the last minute.

John McGuinness has been nominated as chairman of the Finance Committee after being passed over for a position on Fianna Fáil’s front bench. The Kilkenny TD who was not selected as a party spokesman by leader Micheál Martin is now set to chair one of the most high-profile Oireachtas Committees.

Health Minister Simon Harris has called for a “speedy conclusion” to investigations into the deaths of two newborn babies in a public hospital amid claims the tragedies are linked to chronic under-funding.

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has admitted he “made a mistake” when he said he would resign as party leader ahead of the next general election.

Opposition parties have taken their first shot at the new Government, claiming that it is “built on sand”, is “doomed to failure”, and is based on “shambolic grubby little deals” that belittle any talk of reform.

Sinn Féin TDs are in favour of scrapping the party’s industrial wage pay cap, which would more than double their pay overnight, saying there is no point in forcing politicians to stay in “poverty” in order to keep them “pure”.

Fianna Fáil TD Seán Ó Fearghaíl has promised to deliver substantial reform of how the Dáil is run now he has been elected ceann comhairle. He is the first to be elected by secret ballot.

Fianna Fáil TD Sean O Fearghail has been elected to become the new Ceann Comhairle of the Dáil.

The first test of politicians’ claimed new-found interest in reform will take place this morning when five long-standing TDs fight it out to become the next ceann comhairle of the Dáil.

Dublin Central TD Maureen O’Sullivan will compete for the role of ceann comhairle when the new Dáil votes on the position during a secret ballot tomorrow.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are set to have another battle on their hands for the position of ceann comhairle. 

A Lot Done, More to Do was Fianna Fáil’s old campaign slogan. But this sentiment may also capture Sinn Féin’s attitude to the election outcome, suggests Dr Brian Murphy.  

Number of seats: four. Electorate: 99,178 as of last election

Sinn Féin TDs and senators yesterday voiced their support for leader Gerry Adams over his continued backing for convicted tax evader Tom ‘Slab’ Murphy.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin has accused the Government of standing over a “fraudulent” health budget which has the sole intention of whitewashing the health crisis before the general election.

Although the vast majority of TDs have embraced social media, a small cohort still believe knocking on doors and pressing palms is the way to secure a Dáil seat.

A new book traces the rise of modern Sinn Féin and how it moved from supporting armed Republicans in the North to constitutional politics. It has gained the biggest dividend from peace, as Ryle Dwyer discovers.

Almost one in five children waiting more than a month for a dedicated social worker is in serious danger of neglect and physical or sexual abuse, it has emerged.