With no sign of progress on Government formation, the initiative is being seized by the 19 independents elected to the new Dáil.

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He said: "To hell with the planet and the fellas that say we must save the planet and forget about the people."

"My father rang me to say Danny was in trouble and would I ever come home to vote," she said

A woman dressed as celery was ejected from a polling station in Kilgarvan as she attempted to accompany the TD Danny Healy Rae in to vote in his home village.

“I am hopeful that any self respecting politician will support this motion."

The plant-hire company owned by independent Kerry TD, Danny Healy Rae last year recorded an 85% increase in post tax profits to €444,227.

Permits for drink driving in rural areas should be agreed to ease rural isolation and keep pubs open, according to Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae, who used his leaders questions in the Dáil to complain about strict drink-driving rules yesterday.

A TD has called for the army to be called into Kerry to deal with deer who are 'taking over'.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is “sceptical” about proposals to allow people banned for drink driving to continue to drive to and from work, saying the move may be unworkable.

Rural drivers should be given new licences which allow them to pick up passengers for a set price within 15km of their homes in a bid to clamp down on ongoing drink driving concerns.

A High Court challenge has been mounted against a decision to allow a company owned by independent TD Danny Healy-Rae to raise the level of a Co Kerry field with construction and demolition waste.

Transport Minister Shane Ross has accused rural TDs who tried to block a drink-driving bill of needlessly risking the lives of their own constituents after it emerged two in every three road deaths this year have occurred in rural areas.

“It is a sad day for rural Ireland,” boomed a defiant Danny Healy Rae.

A pint and a half of beer “never made anyone drunk” the Dáil heard this evening during a debate on new road traffic laws.

The weather thrown at us by the latest ‘big storm’ may not have set records but the help of neighbours was still very heartening, writes Margaret Hickey.

Catch up on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com this morning.

Danny Healy Rae is merely articulating what many rural politicians say in private. They hide behind his colour and give thanks that he’s willing to go out and hurl for the cause, writes Michael Clifford

Latest: Transport Minister Shane Ross says it is up to Fine Gael to decide how its own backbenchers should vote on contentious new proposals on drink driving.

That Ross’s proposed change (re drink driving) is not embraced by the whole body politic is an acute embarrassment to any country which describes itself as civilised, writes Michael Clifford

Danny Healy Rae is the first politician to publicly challenge the hysteria surrounding climate change.

I know, the ground would never be dry enough for a wildfire to start in Ireland.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has been re-elected as Taoiseach by the most slender of margins, gaining just one vote more than the minimum needed to regain power. Mr Kenny won the fourth and final nomination vote by 59 votes to 49 after 11th-hour talks with Independents.

Fr Paul Connell’s address can be interpreted as offensive, writes Michael Clifford

Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today

I wish to draw your attention to the sarcastic attitude displayed by your columnist, Alison O’Connor towards the election of Mr. Michael and Mr. Danny Healy Rae as TD’s for Kerry on RTE on the weekend of the election.

A councillor in Kerry is calling for a deer crossing instead of a zebra crossing for the village of Kilgarvan.

Kerry County Councillor and publican Danny Healy Rae has pleaded guilty to allowing people to consume alcohol “after hours” in his Kilgarvan premises.

Irish Water —"the Scarlet Pimpernel" of today — is being asked to appear at quarterly meetings of Kerry County Council, as the Government, particularly Fine Gael, was accused of "making a hames" of it all.

The Justice Minister Alan Shatter has said the idea of drink driving permits is "grossly irresponsible".

A Donegal-based road safety campaigner has said a Kerry County Council motion calling for rural people to be allowed to drink and drive is "ridiculous".

Gardaí in Kerry are investigating after a son of Kerry TD Jackie Healy Rae was injured in an altercation during a row over land.

KERRY County Council is to seek legal advice after it emerged that one of its members earned over €400,000 in contracts from the council last year.