A pro-life Senator claims Ireland has a healthcare establishment that 'almost seems to want to hustle' women towards abortion.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald had a good abortion referendum campaign, but a bad presidential election, writes Alison O'Connor

Proposals to force women to pay for abortion services, except where her life is at risk, have been dismissed by the Oireachtas Health Committee.

Renegade pro-life Sinn Féin TDs Carol Nolan and Peadar Tóibín are facing mounting pressure to decide if they will remain as party members or quit after colleagues voted to further liberalise Sinn Féin’s abortion policy.

Sinn Féin faces two crunch votes today on competing plans to back unrestricted access to abortion up to the 12th week of pregnancy or to allow members to formally oppose the official position in a move that could ultimately see at least two pro-life TDs quit the party.

Here are all the latest headlines this lunchtime...

A Sinn Féin TD suspended from the party for her pro-life views has claimed that the Midlands is 70:30 in favour of retaining the Eighth Amendment.

You should all be ashamed of yourselves. All 32 of you.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin is facing a widescale backbench revolt over his pro-choice abortion views, after half of his party’s TDs voted against allowing any referendum on the Eighth Amendment.

Sinn Féin has suspended Carol Nolan after she voted against legislation to allow a referendum on the Eighth Amendment in the Dáil today.

Sinn Féin could suspend pro-life TDs for six months if they refuse to vote in favour of unrestricted access to abortion up to the 12th week of pregnancy should Sinn Féin support the policy.

The numbers could not be more stark, nor more difficult to swallow for die-hard Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil members intent on keeping Sinn Féin in the political wilderness.

The appeal by one-in-eight of the country’s 4,000 schools of their teacher allocations for pupils with special needs is an indication of shortcomings of a new system, a Sinn Féin TD has claimed.

Average school class size in Irish primary schools remain among the highest in Europe with almost one-quarter of all schoolchildren in classes of 30 or more in the current school year.

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.

THE Commercial Court has agreed to overturn a €36 million summary judgment order granted to Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC) last month, against businessman John Morrissey.

AN order freezing the accounts of businessman John Morrissey below €36m has been granted by the commercial court pending his bid to overturn a judgment for that sum obtained against him by the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation.

A pointed free by Jane Dolan in the second minute of injury time snatched the Irish Daily Star Camogie League Division 3 title for Meath at Donoghmore Ashbourne, as the home side beat Kildare by 3-9 to 2-11 in a thriller.

A goal from super sub Louise Walsh in the dying minutes ensured that Kildare would be All-Ireland champions for the first time in 20 years when denying Armagh in the Gala All-Ireland junior A final in Ashbourne by 3-10 to 2-8.

The funeral is taking place today of one of the Irish students who died in a house fire in France last weekend.

A burning cigarette is reportedly being blamed for starting the fire that killed two Irish students in France last Friday.

The parents of two Irish students, who died in a fire in Brittany on Friday, are flying to France today to bring their bodies home.

Dr Tim Creedon, Director of the Institute of Technology Tallaght has expressed his sympathy to the friends and family of the two students who died in a house fire in Lorient, in France.

Two Irish students have died in a house fire in France.