Housing Minister Simon Coveney’s supporters are privately claiming a small victory after Health Minister Simon Harris formally ruled himself out of the Fine Gael leadership contest.

A hero fireman has saved the life of a priest who almost drowned in a swimming pool on the Costa Del Sol.

Mairead McGuinness became the second Irish person to be elected vice-president of the European Parliament when she got the second highest number of votes from her fellow MEPs.

IRELAND had some of the best performers in the European Parliament over the past term, punching above their weight and taking full advantage of the huge additional powers the MEPs have gained.

Mary Fitzpatrick smiles down in splendid isolation from the ESB poles of Main Street, Swords. She is alone among Euro election candidates in occupying high vantage on the thoroughfare. All the other posters are for the locals, candidates of a lesser political god, but perhaps one that has far more relevance to the lives of the voters.

THE appalling vista for Fine Gael is that the ultimate outcome of the debacle involving Alan Shatter, Martin Callinan and An Garda Síochána will be that it allows Sinn Féin to make its most significant, strategic electoral gains yet in the Republic. Compared to the rise of Sinn Féin, the reputational decline of Shatter is small stuff.

EU lawmakers have delayed new rules to regulate money market funds used by big companies to park billions of euros after they clashed over how tough the changes should be.

Junior Finance Minister Brian Hayes has denied his decision to seek a Fine Gael nomination to run for the European Parliament is because he took part in the failed 2010 heave against party leader Enda Kenny.

An influential member of the European Parliament has supported the Government’s efforts to get a direct recapitalisation on bank debt.

The ECB’s message to the Government at the height of the economic crisis was the same as that sent to other eurozone countries including Germany and France, according to Jean-Claude Trichet, the bank’s former president.

Politicians shot down plans to honour Nelson Mandela with the freedom of Dublin just five years before he was eventually awarded the accolade, classified files have revealed.

Politicians shot down plans to honour Nelson Mandela with the Freedom of Dublin just five years before he was eventually awarded the accolade, classified files have revealed.

Irish banks remain a source of concern, the EU’s top banker has warned, putting a damper on any celebrations of the country’s exit from the bailout programme.

The Government is to provide €1m towards the relief effort for Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, where at least 10,000 people have died in one area.

It’s accountability time for the troika, according to members of the European Parliament who plan toinvestigate just how they carried out their jobs in the four programme countries, including Ireland, over the past three years.

Junior finance minister Brian Hayes has insisted he will not be bounced into standing for Fine Gael in the European elections.

Lampedusa casts shame on us all

Labour will struggle to avoid wipe-out in next year’s European elections after revised constituency boundaries add geographical difficulties to their low opinion poll ratings.

Lucinda Creighton has ruled out setting up a new party after quitting the Government when she voted against abortion legislation.

Towards better rights for domestic workers

MEPs in Strasbourg have today voted in favour of measures to cap bankers' bonuses.

Prof Noam Chomsky recently referred to abortion “rights”. Abortion statistics should be reported to balance the one-sided calls for “rights”.

Dublin MEP Gay Mitchell will not contest the European Parliament elections next year.

LOBBYING FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY

Kelly searching for balance on Facebook

Musical chairs in European Parliament

The Government last night insisted the deal on the promissory note would not unravel, despite a day of claim and counterclaim in Europe and concerns being raised by the head of the German Bundesbank.

Mitchell: Stop beating around the bush

MEPs in Strasbourg are looking at introducing tougher rules to make credit rating agencies more transparent.

Irish MEP Gay Mitchell said today that he believes agreement has already been reached behind the scenes in Europe to push out Ireland's payment of the Anglo promissory notes.

Eight Irish authors are in with a chance of winning one of the world’s most valuable literary prizes after their books were nominated by libraries around the globe.

As pay levels of top-earning bankers come under intense scrutiny, updated figures show taxpayers are also footing an annual €9.65m pensions bill for 111 former ministers.

Busy Enda forced to relinquish EU role

Irish MEP Kelly floating on cloud nine

The figures show that while numerous former ministers enjoy huge pensions, some are volunteering money back to the State because of the condition of the public finances.

Presidency preparations at fever pitch

Fine Gael MEP Gay Mitchell said today that greater EU integration can only be a good step for Ireland.

ECB president Mario Draghi has signalled that policymakers may be open to another interest rate cut if the economic outlook warrants it.

The president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz has welcomed the outcome of the Fiscal Treaty referendum here.

The dream of a Europe-wide free travel scheme for senior citizens has been shot down by Tourism Minister Leo Varadkar, who said there was no such thing as “free travel”.

THERE is little new about gendercide, other than the 21st century ability to provide a scientific-sounding label, and modern technology’s ability to replace routine killings of baby girls with gender-specific abortions.

THE Government may want to put water meters in every home in the country, but look at it this way: At least they don’t have plans for putting surface-to-air missiles on the roof of any of our negative equity homes.