The parents of a 23-year-old woman strangled to death by her boyfriend have said they will never forget what was inflicted upon their “beautiful daughter” and will never recover from her loss.

Many unsuitable people will be appointed judges if the Government pushes through controversial legislation, the Dáil has heard.

The Government plans to drive through legislation for the new judicial appointments system and does not expect to make any amendments despite calls for changes from top judges and opposition parties.

The latest report card on the Government’s performance regarding children shows it to be a struggling student, writes Noel Baker.

Anti-racism organisations in Ireland are naturally concerned for the welfare of Walli Ullah, an asylum seeker seriously injured in Wednesday’s riot at Cloverhill prison in Dublin.

Garda Commissioner Noirín O’Sullivan has told gardaí it is “inappropriate” for officers to support either side of the same-sex marriage referendum while on duty, after claims a weekend controversy over the issue is “not an isolated incident”.

Gardaí, solicitors, and judges are guilty of a “hidden bias” when it comes to dealing with victims of domestic violence, a seminar has heard.

NUIG president Jim Browne tells Education Correspondent Niall Murray his institution is keen to rectify gender imbalance in senior positions as part of its assault on global rankings.

While taoiseach in 1982 Charles Haughey fulfilled the invitation to the White House for St Patrick’s Day that had been extended to his predecessor Garret Fitz-Gerald. Mr Haughey then invited the president to Ireland on a state visit.

Whistleblowers whose concerns are ignored within their own organisation cannot be criticised for taking their complaints elsewhere, according to a former Garda commissioner.

A judge, garda commissioner and abbot can surprise you in private, says Catherine Shanahan

AS someone obsessed by the idea of catching impossibly large and beautiful salmon in impossibly large and beautiful rivers I have had to come to understand that the hoping and wishing may almost be as exciting as the arriving and doing. 

The Commission for Energy Regulation has advised the Government to only contemplate using "very expensive" underground cables as an alternative to controversial overhead power lines "as a last resort".

By the end of the year, Eirgrid will identify one proposed underground and one proposed overground route for its €500m upgrade of the electricity network from Cork to Wexford to Kildare.

If the Government had "any courage", it would hold a referendum on removing the country’s abortion laws, a retired Supreme Court judge has claimed.

Writer and Irish Examiner book reviewer, Mary Leland, wrote an informative article for a Sunday newspaper recently, reflecting on the media reports about the mother-and-baby home in Tuam, Co Galway.

Eirgrid has said it will keep an open mind on the future of its Gridwest scheme after reopening the public consultation process to allow consideration of an underground option.

I was delighted to read the letter by Dr Elizabeth Cullen, Irish Doctors’ Environmental Association in the Irish Medical News on January 27, 2014, outlining "The precautionary principle", with regard to the pylons.

The just-published terms of reference for the pylon commission state that electricity transmission operator Eirgird is to prepare a report for the independent panel on the various overhead and underground options for the planned pylon projects in the West and South.

The cancelling of an agreement with the UK to export wind energy and the shelving of the 40 wind farms in the midlands show that our renewable energy policy is over-ambitious.

The Government has scored a C grade in the Children’s Rights Alliance new Report Card on how it is providing for the State’s young people — but was warned that more needs to be done in a number of areas, including migrant and Traveller children.

Doubts are emerging that the planned North-South electricity power line route will be reviewed by an expert panel, despite a pledge by the Taoiseach to disgruntled backbenchers.

The Minister for Energy said the North-South Interconnector may be too far advanced in its planning application, to be included in the expert panel review of pylons.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has denied accusations that his party’s plan to include a 15% cut in property tax in its local election manifesto was “auction politics” aimed at securing more votes.

Concerns at the health impact of pylons and power lines are to be addressed next week with the release of an EU report on the effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF).

Energy Minister Pat Rabbitte has played down a suggestion that concerns about power lines for the North-South interconnector may form part of a review of Eirgrid projects.

Energy Minister Pat Rabbitte’s decision to review the planned construction of hundreds of pylons and high-voltage power lines across the country is a shrewd political move. It will give coalition TDs space to answer angry voters on the doorsteps, as opposition grows over Eirgrid’s plans to extend the national grid.

The chair of an independent panel charged with examining the feasibility of putting two controversial powerlines underground has said the review will be "cool and unbiased".

A Government decision to examine the feasibility of putting two controversial powerlines underground has been described as an “election stunt” to appease backbenchers under pressure in their constituencies.

Seven cases of inappropriate sexual behaviour were among 121 incidents involving children at hostels accommodating asylum seekers reported to authorities last year.

President Michael D Higgins has until Wednesday to decide if new abortion legislation should be tested in the Supreme Court.

Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly claimed Taoiseach Enda Kenny may one day have to issue an apology to asylum seekers along the lines of the one he offered to survivors of Magdalene laundries.

Proposed changes to Ireland’s abortion regime legislate for the killing of babies, it has been claimed.

It is as if the cabinet lobbed the abortion issue into the committee and ran for cover as havoc ensued, writes Michael Clifford.

IT is unfortunate that last week’s handbags between the Government and judiciary was sparked by Judge Peter Kelly.

In her attack on Lucinda Creighton’s reported intention to draft legislation in line with the X-case, precluding a threat of suicide, Colette Browne (Opinion, Jan 16) was unable to distinguish between the Supreme Court’s definition of the law in article 40.3.3, and the court’s application of the law to the case presented to them.

AS the country reeled last week, after it realised it was possible to have an informed debate on abortion that didn’t degenerate into a spittle-flecked free-for-all, Lucinda Creighton donned her assault gear and decided to hell with the détente.

Absolute positions on abortion are no longer tenable, as three days of hearings showed, says Michael Clifford

A leading anti-abortion campaigner has accused Health Minister James Reilly of restricting the options open to an expert group on introducing legislation governing abortion.

Retired Supreme Court judge Mrs Justice Catherine McGuinness has said the X Case is the law and must be legislated for.

SOMETIMES, especially in the hurly burly of life, you forget what idealism looks like. And then you meet someone like Catherine McGuinness.

Olympic boxing hero Katie Taylor swapped the ring for bling as she was named Irish Tatler Woman of the Year over the weekend.

Amending Ireland's constitution to protect children's rights is the first step in moving away from the past failures of the nation, leading charities have claimed.

Olympic gold medallist Katie Taylor has won this year's Irish Tatler Woman of the Year Award.