There has been a sharp increase in the number of packets and parcels containing illegal drugs detected this year, with almost a doubling of seizures by Revenue so far in 2019.

In the first six months of this year there's been a further 20% rise in the number of recorded offences.

Fianna Fáil wants to introduce new laws to help protect young people.

Plans for a dedicated Garda Insurance Fraud Unit have been abandoned.

Gardaí investigated more than 100 child abduction cases since 2015 according to new figures from the Department of Justice.

The Government is "turning its back" on vulnerable communities and ignoring the threat of scrambler bikes in local areas by failing to listen to garda concerns over the issue.

A new bill will introduce heavy penalties for parents who buy vehicles for under 18s who go on to use them in a reckless manner.

Street-level drug dealing along Dublin's quays must be confronted, according to TD John Curran.

At present, people have to lodge complaints with the Residential Tenancies Board if their neighbours are renters.

Last years’ beaten Fitzgibbon Cup finalists DCU Dóchas Éireann had to grind out a two-point victory over a battling home side at Carriganore, Waterford.

A growing backlog in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal is leaving victims of serious assaults waiting years for redress.

You should all be ashamed of yourselves. All 32 of you.

Ireland’s spiralling rental crisis is failing to be addressed because one in every five TDs are landlords and have a clear conflict of interest on the issue, campaigners have warned.

The Cabinet will next week discuss the thrust of the abortion referendum question and what specific legislation could follow any yes vote.

Serious health and safety concerns have been raised over poor regulation of the private rental sector.

Funding to support inspections of rental properties has been reduced by almost a third in recent years.

Homeowners are unlikely to face significant changes to their bin charges before the end of the year, according to Communications Minister Denis Naughten.

Jobs Minister Frances Fitzgerald’s failure to fill Brexit roles, with just one in four recruited, has been criticised as firms face an “existential crisis” with Britain’s EU exit on the horizon, writes Juno McEnroe.

Jobs Minister Frances Fitzgerald’s failure to fill Brexit roles, with just one in four recruited, has been criticised as firms face an “existential crisis” with Britain’s EU exit on the horizon.

Roadside drug tests will be in operation by the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.

Just 31 builders and contractors have so far been signed up to the Government’s new help-to-buy scheme.

The Nagle family tried to cut out plastic for a month. Alissa MacMillan finds out how they got on.

Your letters, your views...

A temporary halt to home repossessions is not the solution and some people would actually be better off if they lost their home, Fianna Fáil finance spokesman Michael McGrath has said.

The Government and Fianna Fáil combined yesterday to vote down Sinn Féin’s plans for rent certainty.

John McGuinness has been nominated as chairman of the Finance Committee after being passed over for a position on Fianna Fáil’s front bench. The Kilkenny TD who was not selected as a party spokesman by leader Micheál Martin is now set to chair one of the most high-profile Oireachtas Committees.

Fresh proposals for rent certainty and ways to regulate the rental sector are set to give the Government a major headache after the last coalition blocked similar plans for legal reasons.

Environment Minister Alan Kelly is set to be hauled before a newly established Dáil committee on Tuesday to answer questions about the escalating housing and homelessness crisis.

Rather than condemnation, parishoners prayed for vandals who toppled gravestones in a graveyard.

A hospital consultant yesterday apologised to the family of a 53-year-old man who died from lung cancer after an alleged failure to carry out procedures and tests which could have led to an earlier diagnosis.

Fianna Fáil should consider supporting Fine Gael’s bid to re-elect Enda Kenny as Taoiseach when the Dáil resumes, because the move would create a lame duck leader.

6.30am - I live near Killarney so I leave the house in plenty of time to get to Tralee for 7.45am.

Senator Averil Power has accused Fianna Fáil of using her when she was in the party to cover up for the fact that it had no strategy to attract or elect female politicians.

Agatha Christie’s popularity is due to a combination no other mystery writer mastered, Declan Burke discovers.

Tracks ****

THEY have watched on enviously over the last few years as South Kerry neighbours St Michael’s-Foilmore, Skellig Rangers and St Mary’s(Caherciveen) sampled the Croke Park stage.

IT may be a long-shot, but Conor Swail feels he is justified in having one eye on the two individual Olympic places up for grabs after placing second with Lansdowne in the World Cup contest in Toronto, Canada, on Wednesday night.

Edward Norton didn’t want to take on his role in ‘Stone’ when he was first approached.

CONOR COUNIHAN has named an unchanged side from the team that beat Monaghan a fortnight ago for Cork’s Allianz NFL Division 1 game tomorrow night against Down.

There are 70 seats filled so far.

Labour‘s new literacy plan is making steady, if slow, progress. But Eamon Gilmore’s mastering of The Gruffalo puts him well ahead of the Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin press offices, judging by two releases that landed on news desks yesterday.

The new Fianna Fáil frontbench