The cost of paying pensions to former ministers has fallen by almost €700,000 to just over €3.7m over the past three years.

ONE thing really jarred with me about the State visit of President Michael D Higgins to Britain. Actually, there were a couple of things, but one of them didn’t occur until the interviews, as part of the massive coverage of the visit. Let me explain.

Former Fianna Fáil TD Chris Andrews has joined Sinn Féin.

Former Fianna Fáil TD Chris Andrews has been left red-faced just hours before he applies to join Sinn Féin after a series of tweets emerged in which he accused the party of being corrupt, referred to the IRA murder of Jean McConville, the Northern Bank raid and “the number of people Sinn Féin reps have killed over the years”.

Sinn Féin's national executive is expected to consider tomorrow an application from an ex-Fianna Fáil TD to join the party.

Comic Dave McSavage is turning his gaze on the big questions, says Richard Fitzpatrick

STUDENT travel group USIT saw pre-tax profits fall 70% last year due to restructuring costs.

Northern Ireland's Secretary of State Owen Patterson has said the Queen's visit to Ireland is a "springboard" to even better relations.

Seán Haughey witnessed the end of his family’s political presence in Dublin going back some 54 years, while the Andrews brothers, Chris and Barry, both lost their seats in their respective constituencies.

SPARE a thought for a candidate who gets up a 6am six days a week to drive 310km to and from work who then has to trudge out into the night to knock on doors.

FIANNA FÁIL rank and file complained to then taoiseach Charles Haughey about rogue developers — who were known party backers — abandoning unfinished housing estates.

THEY say it’s better to be born lucky than smart. Ryan Tubridy is more fortunate than most, being both lucky and smart – along with having the gift of the gab that has made him the biggest name in Irish broadcasting in the space of a few short years.

THERE has been no delay in the distribution of the €1.4m donated by the public to help those affected by the floods before Christmas, the Irish Red Cross insisted yesterday.

David Andrews steps down today as chairman of the Irish Red Cross.

SIGNIFICANT changes to management of the Irish Red Cross Society have been proposed to quell concerns about its operation.

STUDENT travel group, USIT saw pre-tax profits fall slightly to just below €1 million for the first time in three years.

The global fight against HIV/Aids needs smart money, not more money, the world’s largest humanitarian agency claimed today.

IRELAND needs to get “value for money” in the €100 million it donates to HIV and AIDS projects worldwide, the head of Irish Aid has warned.

DEAR Taoiseach-in-waiting, not long to go now. At 2.30pm tomorrow, the house will be called to order and nominations will be put in place for the office of taoiseach. There may be some wrangling about the procedures, which would be normal enough.

THE Taoiseach said he still holds aspirations for a united Ireland, 10 years on from the signing of the historic Good Friday agreement.

All sides involved in the creation of the Good Friday Agreement should feel proud of it, Bertie Ahern said tonight.

The Olympics’ opening ceremony should not be boycotted by Irish athletes over China’s policy on Tibet, Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said today.

BILL CLINTON’S decision to pull out of a Belfast conference marking the 10th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement is a vote of no confidence in it, a leading unionist claimed yesterday.

Bill Clinton’s decision to pull out of a Belfast conference marking the 10th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement is a vote of no confidence in it, a leading unionist claimed today.

THE family of a Dublin teenager who died after an attack in Lanzarote are devastated after a judge ordered that the case be closed.

EDUCATION Minister Mary Hanafin has admitted helping controversial poet Cathal Ó Searcaigh to obtain a visa for a Nepalese teenager whom he brought to Ireland.

Tony Blair and Bill Clinton have been invited to an event in the North marking 10 years since the Good Friday Agreement, it was revealed today.

DISGRACED former Fianna Fáil minister Ray Burke blocked his colleague David Andrews from becoming minister for foreign affairs in 1997, the autobiography of the former TD from Dún Laoghaire reveals.

Over 150,000 Irish people are caring for ill or elderly relatives in their own homes, it was revealed today.

The Irish Red Cross is joining calls for the release of a number of Iraqi Red Crescent staff and other volunteers who were abducted in Baghdad over the weekend.

THE only white Ireland’s super rich care about this Christmas seems to be white gold.

DISASTERS killed 100,000 people throughout the world last year and much of it came about through severe neglect.

The Taoiseach today led tributes to former Fianna Fáil TD and MEP Niall Andrews.

The family of the Irish Red Cross worker who was kidnapped in Ethiopia are delighted at news of his release.

POLITICAL and business leaders joined members of Charles Haughey’s family yesterday in a requiem Mass for the former Taoiseach at Our Lady of Consolation Church in Donnycarney.

Four senior members of Fianna Fáil have appeared at the Planning Tribunal today to give evidence about payments they received from Monarch Properties.

PLANNING tribunal chairman Judge Alan Mahon yesterday criticised a former Fianna Fáil councillor for giving the impression he got no payments from developers.

The generosity of Irish citizens is extraordinary, a leading aid agency revealed today.

France has bestowed its highest honour on former Foreign Affairs Minister David Andrews, who is now chairman of the Irish Red Cross.

Up to 200 victims of the Northern Ireland Troubles who live in the Republic are expected to be compensated under the latest phase of the Irish Government’s Remembrance Commission.

COMEDIAN Dave McSavage was yesterday remanded on continuing bail on a charge of illegal street trading.

The Irish Red Cross collected almost €31m towards the tsunami relief effort, the most it had ever received for a single natural disaster.

THE Irish Red Cross has moved to assure the public that help is reaching victims of last week’s earthquake in Pakistan and the surrounding countries.