The Government has been forced to increase preschool funding by €2.5m over concerns that not enough money was made available to cater for the sheer number of families set to benefit from its new free pre-school year plans.

Several TDs are set to be promoted to ministerial office while existing ministers will be moved across to new portfolios under the government being put together by Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny.

Will the independents support Fine Gael?

Fianna Fáil negotiators last night told Independents they will draft a new bill to scrap Irish Water and delay water charges for five years within 18 months if they are part of the next government.