IF the Taoiseach was serious about Government reform, he could have amalgamated the two security-related Government departments, Defence and Justice, placing them under one Minister for Security.

Former Fianna Fáil minister Ray Burke today told the Mahon Tribunal he was never aware of any payments made to councillors during the rezoning of land in North Dublin.

FORMER Fine Gael senator Liam T Cosgrave yesterday claimed the Mahon Planning Tribunal was “protecting” Frank Dunlop, whom he called a “perjuring parrot”.

The families of those killed in the early 1970s Dublin bombings today sought information from the Northern Ireland police service to finally complete the inquests.

IF it took the Flood Tribunal almost four years to determine the purpose of three separate payments to just one politician, Ray Burke, how long will it need to examine allegations that Frank Dunlop alone paid out almost £300,000 to dozens of councillors in the early 1990s?