Profits at insurance companies have increased by more than 1000%, despite rising premiums for customers.

The seventh annual running of one of the world’s richest juvenile greyhound races, the Con & Annie Kirby Memorial Stake, was launched at Limerick Greyhound Stadium yesterday.

Everyone is keeping their fingers crossed that they can make it through to the summer, writes Stephen Cadogan.

West Brom striker Jay Rodriguez has been granted an extension until March 9 to respond to his Football Association charge of using racist language, the governing body has announced.

The Chairman of the Personal Injuries Commission has warned there needs to be “a massive onslaught” on fraud in the motor claims area and said as a “last resort” the Government could legislate to put a cap on the amount of compensation awarded.

The National Ambulance Service has confirmed that a disagreement arose between two staff at the end of their shift on Saturday nights.

Three no confidence motions in Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan could be blocked after it emerged Oireachtas officials are taking senior counsel advice on whether they can be heard.

Two Garda unions have strongly criticised comments from the Chairman of the Public Sector Pay Commission, Kevin Duffy, over the recent Garda industrial dispute.

Pressure is something Tyrone’s Kris Meeke reckons he has handled for most of his rallying career.

The Chairman of the Dáil's Transport Committee has defended the decision not to call in FAI Chief John Delaney to discuss a €5m payout from FIFA.

Last Wednesday afternoon the Mooreland/Owenvarragh Residents Association had their proverbial day in court.

An independent review has been ordered into the death of an Irish army private and the disappearance of his colleague while on duty with the UN in Lebanon 33 years ago.

Police killer Harry Roberts has been released from prison, despite calls from relatives of his victims, politicians and senior police for him to stay behind bars.

The Government has restored its promised €35m annual mental health budget for 2015 after slashing €15m off it last year.

The chairman of the Public Accounts Committee says the Gardaí need new systems to detect abuse of the penalty points system.

Even the sky in Kerry was dressed in gold late yesterday as the victorious All-Ireland senior and minor footballers teams’ train pulled into Casement station in Tralee.

Murderers and other long-term prisoners are spending an average of 17½ years behind bars before being release, according to the Parole Board of Ireland's annual report.

The outgoing head of the Department of Justice, Brian Purcell, is being "kept sweet" by retaining his €200,000 a year salary because of his role in events leading up to the resignation of the former Garda commissioner.

A Government target for providing free GP visits for kids under six this summer is "not achievable", according to the GP committee of the Irish Medical Organisation.

Justice Minister Alan Shatter’s account of a suspected surveillance operation at the Garda Ombudsman’s offices differs considerably from a report he was given on the security concerns, it has been claimed.

Tensions between gardaí and the police ombudsman escalated last night after Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan demanded to know why gardaí were “suspected of complicity” by the watchdog in a communications attack on its offices.

Inter-county managers will be forced to hold GAA approved coaching qualifications by 2018. The policy, approved by Central Council last June on the back of a recommendation from the FRC, will prevent an inter-county manager from patrolling the sideline if they have not acquired the requisite expertise.

The Irish Medical Organisation has expressed its grave concern over the closure of the Acute Medical Assessment Unit at the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick to new referrals.

Fine Gael's Alan Shatter is insisting that nobody is being forced to pay next year's property tax in 2013.

Small businesses are key to economic recovery, the Small Firms Association claims.

The helpline set up at Beaumont Hospital to deal with the issue of potential CJD infection from surgical instruments has said that 13 hundred people contacted the service yesterday.

The Chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on EU Affairs said that a youth guarantee scheme would provide protection for young people across the country who are out of work.

Chairman of the British Olympic Association Sebastian Coe has said that it's up to Rory McIlroy to decide what county he declares for at the next Olympics.

Horse DNA has been found in a frozen dinner withdrawn from sale last week by Tesco.

The Galway East TD Colm Keaveney has voted against the social welfare bill.

The European Union has been officially awarded the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize at a ceremony in Oslo.

The Garda Commissioner will reveal to the Public Accounts Committee today which garda allowances, if any, the force is willing to give up.

A group of talented, young Irish designers are set to take centre stage at one of the country’s biggest stores as part of fresh attempts to showcase the high-quality clothes being produced on these shores.

There has been an angry reaction to a report on Irish banks' lending record published today.

Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee John McGuinness says he has no intention of stepping aside from the role during an examination of Ireland's banking collapse.

David Cameron today launched a full parliamentary inquiry into the rate-rigging scandal amid a wave of criticism of British banking.

The Chairman of the Referendum Commission, Mr Justice Kevin Feeney, is urging people to vote today on the EU Fiscal Stability Treaty.

Nama is today unveiling proposals to invest €2bn in the economy over the next four years.

The cost of hiring a lawyer will rise as a result of the Government’s plan for a new regulatory authority to govern legal services, according to the professional body for barristers.

Cannabis-based medicinal products, such as Sativex, could soon be available to people with multiple sclerosis and other medical conditions on prescription.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny is today pleading with people to be careful on the roads this Christmas.

Members of the opposition are calling for a full report on the accounting error, revealed yesterday, that caused an over-stating of our national debt by billions.

BEEF farmers buying imported EU stock should be aware of heightened risk of disease and the greater challenge in selling these animals to Irish factories, warns the ICMSA.

America has said Osama bin Laden was actively running al-Qaida up until he was killed.