Two members of the Irish Examiner political staff have secured a top journalism award for their analysis of the treatment of a young woman who suffered a litany of abuse in a foster home.

It leaves only Katherine Zappone yet to state her support.

“Illegitiminon carborundum”: The Taoiseach had just been asked by Galway Independent TD Noel Grealish if he had any advice for his successor in the job, and he jokingly offered the dog-Latin phrase which roughly translates as “Don’t let the bastards grind you down”, writes Lise Hand.

CREDIBILITY is the issue that will define the future of all media. 

Cork County Council is to write to the Government urging it to subsidise broadband providers in West Cork because the chronic lack of such facilities is severely hampering business development in the region.

LEO Varadkar is ashamed, and well he might be. On Thursday, following the publication of a report into the deaths of five babies at Portlaoise hospital, the health minister proclaimed himself ashamed of the treatment of patients there.

As political bedfellows go, few make a more unlikely pair than turfcutters’ champion Michael Fitzmaurice and bombastic city-slicker Shane Ross.

The Government has frozen the review of discretionary medical cards and said that, under a new policy, eligibility for all cards will take account of medical conditions.

The opposition boycotted the Dáil yesterday to protest at what they called a “jack boot” bid by the Government to ram through water charges.

The prospect of disaffected Fine Gael and Labour elected TDs joining forces to secure greater Dáil rights has grown stronger after two from either group held discussions.

Rebel TDs kicked out of Fine Gael for opposing the abortion legislation could be let back into the parliamentary party after a period of time, according to a junior minister.

Test results are expected today which will show whether horse meat was confined to one batch of burgers or was knowingly imported by the beef factory which made them.

The Health Minister has comfortably won the confidence of the Dáil by 99 votes to 50.

An urgent review of water levels on the River Shannon and the need for one agency to oversee emergency flooding plans have been recommended in an Oireachtas report.

CATHAL Magee is a man with rather a lot on his mind.

FINE Gael TDs and senators expressed anger and confusion over the possible downgrading of small hospitals during a fraught parliamentary party meeting with Health Minister James Reilly.

A long-serving garda has been arrested in connection with a major investigation into the illegal trafficking of underage African women into Ireland for the sex industry.

UP to 2,000 cash-strapped people are on waiting lists for face-to-face appointments for a free government-funded debt service, the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS).

THE head of Integrating Ireland has hit back at Justice Minister Dermot Ahern’s claim that 90% of asylum claims are “unfounded”.

AT LEAST a third of 125 vaccine damage claims made to the Department of Health allege severe mental or physical disability as a result of state-promoted vaccination programmes dating back to the 1980s.

NEARLY 7,000 asylum seekers are currently living in direct provision accommodation, costing the taxpayer more than €83 million in 2007 alone.

THE firm responsible for administering the nursing home repayment scheme has flatly denied it bullied applicants entitled to payments.

NEARLY one in four appeals over repayments for illegal nursing home fees are resulting in higher amounts being paid out to claimants.

A STATE-APPOINTED group charged with drafting a compensation scheme for vaccine-damaged children is seeking submissions from the public and interested groups on the issue.

FINE GAEL has accused the Health Service Executive (HSE) of engaging in doublespeak on hospital overspending.

Customers are being stung by misleading labels on jars of so-called ‘Irish’ honey, food safety bosses revealed today.

Enda Kenny used his key note address at the party's Ard Fheis to launch a blistering attack on the Government's handling of the health crisis.

TÁNAISTE and Minister for Health Mary Harney has been accused of foot dragging in providing support for children damaged by State vaccination programmes.

Fine Gael has proposed the introduction of a new Irish food label known as Green Ireland.

Fine Gael has today accused the Government of failing Irish cancer sufferers with its lack of vision.

OH no, not again was the refrain from Elan shareholders yesterday as the share price plummeted, bringing back painful memories of 2001 and 2002.

Fine Gael has called for stricter guidelines on food labelling to ensure that the origin of meat products is crystal clear.

Health officials investigating the country's first case of variant CJD believe the victim contracted the brain disease from eating a hamburger.

MOTORISTS will be able to flout the road safety laws between now and Christmas because of major legal loopholes and lack of a proper camera and computerised system, it emerged yesterday.

THE last metre of track on the Luas light rail system was laid by the Lord Mayor of Dublin yesterday.

SOME 8 billion will be invested on Irish motorways and 2.3bn spent on public transport over the next five years, Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy said in the Budget yesterday.

Fine Gael has criticised the National Roads Authority for what the party claims is a breach of EU guidelines on motorway crash barriers.

Fine Gael is calling for a complete overhaul of the driving test system.

The future of the Waterford-Limerick rail line has been thrown into serious doubt today following the collapse of a bridge in Cahir, Co Tipperary this morning.

Fine Gael has launched an attack on the Tánaiste following her criticism of plans to bring the Luas into the Red Cow Roundabout.

THERE has been almost a 20% reduction in the number of road deaths since penalty points were introduced last November, Transport Minister Séamus Brennan said yesterday.

TRANSPORT Minister Seamus Brennan is to ask gardaí to step up the enforcement of the penalty points system amid growing concern about the rising death toll on the roads.

Plans to ban motorists from driving on a provisional licence are under are under fire.