Concerns that Islamic terrorists would use Ireland as a “stepping stone” to enter Britain have existed for many years, former justice minister Dermot Ahern has said.

THE first victim of truth is language. Once words are suborned, anything is possible, writes Gerard Howlin

Ireland’s blasphemy laws are embarrassing and should be removed through a constitutional referendum, according to Health Minister Simon Harris.

Update 8pm: There are reports that the gardaí investigation into comments made by Stephen Fry in 2015 has been dropped.

Ireland is heading for Brexit “disaster” as Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s desired special deal between the Republic and the North is not legally possible, it has been claimed.

Number of seats: Five. Electorate: 99,530 as of last election

Senior Fine Gael figures have noted with interest an apparent softening by Fianna Fáil on whether it would support a minority government or form a so-called grand coalition with its long-standing rival after the election.

Former minister Noel Dempsey, who was part of the Fianna Fáil-led coalition during the economic crash, has said he is “haunted” by the decisions his government took — and warned Ireland is failing to learn from the mistakes of the past.

Senior Celtic Tiger cabinet members, including Bertie Ahern, Brian Cowen, and Mary Harney, are still receiving gold-plated ministerial pensions worth up to €80,000 a year, despite seven years of economic crisis.

There were almost 9,000 committals to prison last year for failure to pay fines — almost five years after laws were enacted making imprisonment for defaulting a "last resort".

Planned powers to enable gardai more closely monitor paedophiles in the community will now not be in place before the next general election.

Joe Walsh, the former agriculture minister who was acclaimed as being equally at home in the parish hall or in the gilded buildings of Brussels, was laid to rest yesterday.

Joe Walsh, the former Agriculture Minister who was acclaimed as being equally at home in the parish hall or in the gilded buildings of Brussells, was laid to rest today.

In the region of €25m will be raised annually by a new online betting tax that Michael Noonan has been trying to introduce since he became minister for finance more than three years ago.

The fiery demagogue took a long time to agree to ‘break bread’, writes Michael Clifford

Steve Collins has indicated that his family might return to Ireland now that his son’s murderers have been jailed for life.

The word of the Garda commissioner was "accepted without question" by Alan Shatter, the former justice minister, when he examined complaints of misconduct against him in January 2012.

AT LEAST it was fitting in Holy Week that we asked the question: Will Labour walk on water?

How can the French police continue to investigate Ian Bailey while a Supreme Court judge probes allegedly illegal activity by the gardaí over the case, asks Special Correspondent Michael Clifford

Former Fine Gael justice minister Nora Owen said the manner in which Martin Callinan left office would seem “unfair” on the former Garda Commissioner and she called on the Government to give the full picture on the issue.

Martin Callinan began work at the Commissioner’s desk in a hurry to manage one of the most complicated security operations ever undertaken in Ireland.

Justice Minister Alan Shatter rejected allegations that he had misled the Dáil when he claimed whistleblower Garda Maurice McCabe had refused to co-operate with the Garda investigation into the wiping of penalty points.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin has said questions need to be answered by the justice minister and the force on whether failures by gardaí led to the murder of a mother of two in Limerick.

The Garda whistleblower, Sergeant Maurice McCabe, warned a former justice minister that the rubbishing of his claims of malpractice in the force was “Donegal all over again”.

A second garda whistleblower was warned by the Garda confidential recipient of the consequences of pursuing claims against the force in relation to an alleged sexual assault, it was claimed in the Dáil yesterday.

Enda Kenny said a review of claims of malpractice in the force by a Garda whistleblower will assess the “investigative methods and processes” previously used to examine the allegations.

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL was in Dublin last week, flogging a book, revisiting the past, and standing by an old pal.

Former presidents, ministers, and judicial office holders cost the taxpayer €15.6m in pension and severance payments last year, according to figures released yesterday.

LIAM KEANE’S two-fingered insult to the nation almost 10 years ago was one of those landmark moments in Irish crime.

Eight years ago this month, the then Garda commissioner Noel Conroy announced details of the new system to handle informants in the wake of the scathing criticism of the Morris Tribunal reports into abuses among the force in Donegal.

Ex-ministers and TDs who “abandoned” Fianna Fáil in the last election and chose not to contest seats, will not be allowed to run again under a motion passed at the ard fheis.

Ireland is one of 54 countries identified as colluding with authorities in the US to operate the CIA’s controversial programme of extraordinary rendition in the aftermath of the Sept 11 attacks in 2001.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny claimed the Government has increased taxes on high earners as TDs blasted his unwillingness to tackle the “runaway, gilt-edged pensions” of former senior politicians.

The late finance minister, Brian Lenihan, resisted pressure to accept a bailout until the final minute and hinted he did so because of pressure from the ECB.

The Junior Finance Minister has said the current pension scheme will be reviewed and discussed carefully ahead of December's budget.

Brian Cowen left office with a total package worth more than €310,000 last year, while Bertie Ahern walked away with over €299,000 — all funded by the taxpayer.

Brian Cowen was paid more than €310,000 after stepping down as taoiseach last year.

In summer last year, Senator Mark Daly used parliamentary privilege to name an alleged child abuser. Here, he explains the choices with which he was faced

Barry Walsh states Enda Kenny took a pay cut (Letters, Aug 23) but he is mistaken.