A proposal to allow a free vote on the Civil Partnerships Bill in the Seanad has been defeated by 44 votes to six today.

FORMER minister Ned O’Keeffe is likely to get the go-ahead tomorrow to contest a seat in the European Parliament with a last-minute withdrawal by Senator John Hanafin widely expected.

MINISTERS last night insisted TDs were “entitled” to take a €3,000 pay rise — despite deputies saying they did not want the increase because of the backlash it would provoke.

SENATOR John Hanafin this week became the first politician to signal an interest in standing in the European elections in two years time.

THE Taoiseach last night backed the Tánaiste in her support for EU regulations on stem cell research, amid intensifying dissent within Fianna Fáil on the contentious issue.

ONE evening a couple of weeks ago a TD showed me a copy of an invitation he had received to the launch of a democracy commission. The invitation said this commission would conduct an audit of democracy in this country.

AN extensive study is to investigate why fewer people are voting in a bid to reverse the trend.