A no confidence vote in the Government was blocked tonight as Taoiseach Brian Cowen fought off questions over his leadership.

A new poll has revealed that Micheál Martin is favourite to take over from Brian Cowen as leader of Fianna Fáil.

The National Youth Council of Ireland has said it is "disappointed" with the amount of extra training places announced in today's Budget by Finance Minister Brian Lenihan.

The School Transport charge for secondary school children will increase to €350 after today's Budget announced by Finance Minister Brian Lenihan.

The Government’s four year plan to fix the economic crisis will be published early next week, a minister said tonight.

CUTS deeper than the €15 billion already on the way may be needed if Ireland’s slump economy fails to grow fast enough, EU Commissioner Olli Rehn signalled last night.

CHANGES announced to the way the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) operates mean AIB and Bank of Ireland will now hold on to €6.6 billion in loans they were due to transfer to the agency’s control.

European Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia today welcomed the comprehensive statement issued by Finance Minister Brian Lenihan on the banking system, saying it brought "clarity" to the situation.

A GROUP of independent financial advisers has asked the Government for funding to provide a service to assist people struggling withsevere debt problems.

The Government has agreed €1bn of the €3bn cuts to be announced in the Budget on December 7, Finance Minister Brian Lenihan revealed today.

INCOME tax increases and more cuts in Government spending are needed immediately, the International Monetary Fund has warned in a stark report on the country’s economic state.

A banking expert from Finland will investigate Finance Minister Brian Lenihan’s handling of the financial meltdown, the Government confirmed today.

The Finance Minister Brian Lenihan has said the taxpayer may well be best served by a sale of the EBS.

The Finance Minister Brian Lenihan is briefing his Cabinet colleagues about the multi-billion euro bailout of Greece.

THREE former Anglo Irish directors were paid more than €1 million last year in back-pay despite owing the bank €100m.

A judgement is expected today in a case taken by the Garda Representative Association against the Finance Minister Brian Lenihan.

OUTSPOKEN TD Mattie McGrath was revealed to be “the rebel who never was” as his promised principled stand on public sector pay cuts fizzled into Dáil dust.

AN inquiry into the cause of the banking crisis is expected after the Government last night signalled its intention to examine the origins of the collapse.

Fine Gael says the Finance Minister Brian Lenihan is wrong to dismiss an investigation into the banking crisis.

It is reported that Finance Minister Brian Lenihan will make a public announcement tomorrow about his recent cancer diagnosis.

THE number of people employed in the public sector has fallen by 8,200 in the 12 months to last September, according to official figures.

The body representing Vocational Educational Committees (VECs) in Ireland today said the Budget measures announced by Finance Minister Brian Lenihan yesterday "ignored" the needs of adult students.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen was tonight warned of alleged attempts to overthrow him by a senior Cabinet minister as the countdown begins to the most feared Budget in living memory.

The latest revenue estimates are an appalling reflection of a Government that has lost both control of the economy and the trust of the Irish people, Fine Gael said today.

The Taoiseach Brian Cowen and the Finance Minister Brian Lenihan are to hold a press conference at Government Buildings shortly to announce whether or not the talks with public sector unions have resulted in an acceptable agreement.

AIB is to make its intentions known after the Government rejected a proposal by the bank to pay its new boss more than the €500,000 salary cap imposed by the Finance Minister Brian Lenihan.

Social Justice Ireland today called on the Government to reform the taxation system with the target of raising the total tax take to 34.9% of GDP, from the current level of 27.4% which is among the lowest in the European Union.

THE Government will have to borrow €26 billion this year to plug the gap between income and spending as its financial problems continue to worsen and the tax take falls back to 2003 levels.

LEADING economist David McWilliams has defended being paid €10,000 for the Farmleigh economic think-in, claiming waiving the fee would be like “asking a plumber to fix your drains for nothing”.

THE Dáil’s spending watchdog has upped the ante in its probe of Fás, demanding further explanations on what knowledge its board had about wasteful spending.

ANTI-LISBON campaigner Declan Ganley confirmed his Libertas organisation received funding from a British-based hedge fund group which, according to Finance Minister Brian Lenihan, has bet on the failure of our economy.

The Tánaiste, Mary Coughlan, has rejected opposition claims that the Government is in disarray over how to stabilise the public finances.

Employers' group IBEC has today welcomed the measures outlined in Finance Minister Brian Lenihan's second-stage speech on the National Asset Management Agency (Nama) Bill 2009.

EBS Building Society says it will need up to €300 million of a capital injection from the Government after it transfers more than €500m in bad loans to the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA).

Around 60 students from Athlone Institute of Technology have staged a protest against introduction of third level fees at the Fianna Fáil think-in today.

The proposed National Assets Management Agency (Nama) will be open to interference from Finance Minister Brian Lenihan, Opposition politicians claimed tonight.

The Irish Government tonight unveiled a toxic bank plan to take over billions worth of failing property deals, with Finance Minister Brian Lenihan insisting it was not a bail-out.

The head of SIPTU has launched a scathing attack on Finance Minister Brian Lenihan following his suggestion last night that the Government may cut the minimum wage.

An Bord Snip Nua is recommending social welfare cuts of €1.5bn, according to reports today.

THE Garda Síochána is facing a growing management crisis with 12 superintendents due to take voluntary retirement this year and up to 100 others eligible for retirement.

The price of 20 cigarettes is to increase by 25c tonight, it was announced by Finance Minister Brian Lenihan this afternoon.

IRISH Nationwide chief executive Michael Fingleton bowed to the inevitable yesterday and announced that he will, after considerable pressure from Finance Minister Brian Lenihan, retire at the end of the month.

Michael Fingleton is expected to step down as chief executive of Irish Nationwide within days following a meeting yesterday between Finance Minister Brian Lenihan and members of the building society's board.

MINISTERS were last night accused of preparing to cave-in over bailed-out bank chief Michael Fingleton’s controversial e1 million bonus.