Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy said she hopes the party can win four seats in the general election amid expectation that the group will also form part of any government talks.

The Constitution is taking a battering in this election campaign. They’re coming for it from all angles.

A small number of bellwether constituencies could be highly significant in the battle for top spot between Fiann Fáil and Fine Gael, says Political Correspondent Juno McEnroe.

Dublin-Central Independent TD Maureen O'Sullivan has announced she will not contest the General Election, thus ending her 11-year career as a TD.

Fine Gael must facilitate a Fianna Fáil led Government from Opposition should Micheál Martin's party win more seats, Dara Calleary has said.

Councillors attached to the Dublin Agreement group want €8.4 million in Irish Water-related rates re-instated.

Sinn Féin has called for an emergency meeting of Dublin City Council to discuss the furore surrounding a supposed housing agreement to redevelop the O’Devaney Gardens site in the north inner city.

This evening's vote comes after developer Bartra Capital and council officials agreed to increase the number of social homes by 30%.

Dublin's Deputy Lord Mayor, Mary Fitzpatrick presided over the official opening of a phone box in Stoneybatter today.

Veteran Fine Gael senator Paul Coghlan celebrated his last-gasp late-night re-election to the Upper House with “tea and toast”.

Fianna Fáil Seanad candidates have insisted party bosses assured them they would not run an “inner list” of preferred candidates.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin and his team have been attacked by several of their own party’s Seanad candidates over a controversial diktat as to who to vote for.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has again tried to shut the door on the possibility of entering coalition with Fine Gael, despite several of his TDs saying they would consider such a deal if the party is the stronger one after the election.

Dublin Central has changed from a four-seater to a three-seat constituency since 2011 and with four prominent sitting TDs, not to mention a number of high-profile candidates hoping to be elected, the race to the Dáil will certainly be interesting.

A law requiring political parties to field 30% male and female candidates in the next two general elections if they are to continue to receive state funding is “a reasonable course of action to address the historic under-representation of women in Irish politics”, the High Court has been told.

A Fianna Fáil candidate who was backed by Bertie Ahern is taking a High Court case against the State as he believes gender quotas are unconstitutional.

The sister of a Limerick man found dead at his home in America last weekend has said she will not return to Ireland without her brother and his two children.

A mother who lost her son after an unprovoked attack is leading a fundraising drive to help the family of a Limerick man who died in the US as a result of a violent incident.

Back for more punishment, all so that we can all have even more fun and rows, writes Kieran Shannon.

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan’s bid for a Dublin European seat failed after Independent MEP Nessa Childers made a surprise comeback and relieved Fine Gael minister Brian Hayes managed to cling onto the third and final seat.

Counting will resume in Cork and Castlebar this morning as efforts to elect four MEP's in Ireland South and Midlands North West continues.

All three sitting MEPs in Dublin looked set to lose their seats after a stunning debut by Sinn Féin’s Lynn Boylan dramatically upset voting patterns in the constituency.

There is a certain irony in the fact that Lynn Boylan is chair of the Safe Food Advisory Board because her performance in the Dublin Euro elections proved hard for many to swallow.

Sinn Féin's Lynn Boylan has been elected in the Dublin constituency European elections after the third count.

Fianna Fáil's director of elections for Europe says the party is set to claim at least two seats.

Sinn Féin's Lynn Boylan is on course to top the poll and possibly be elected on the first count in the Dublin European elections.

Staff at three count centres are beginning to count votes in the European elections around now.

The Labour Party is bracing itself for a weekend of tough questions as counting gets under way for the local and European elections, which are expected to mark a major breakthrough for Sinn Féin and a shift towards anti-austerity candidates.

Fianna Fáil European candidate for Dublin Mary Fitzpatrick is facing complaints from the Data Protection Commissioner after voters received pre-recorded ‘robocalls’ from her on the eve of voting.

The Labour Party has pitched itself against Fianna Fáil in the battle for the last of three seats in Dublin, where Emer Costello remains its only hope of avoiding a wipeout in next Friday’s European elections.

There is cause for concern for Labour ahead of this Friday's local and European elections, with the publication of two new opinion polls.

Labour will have an "opportunity to reflect" after this week’s local and European elections, according to deputy leader Joan Burton, as the party prepares for a drubbing by disenchanted voters who are turning to Sinn Féin and a mostly left-wing group of Independents.

Candidates competing for a seat in the EU parliament have pledged to support environmental causes if elected to Europe and criticised the Coalition for failing to agree binding targets for climate change.

For anyone wanting to design a political obstacle course, the route chosen by Mary Fitzpatrick makes a good template.Mary Fitzpatrick, Fianna Fáil candidate for Europe, canvassing in Raheny, Dublin. Pic: Maxpics

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.

A new opinion poll shows fights for several seats in the European elections.

Dublin City Council has backed a motion supporting Dublin Fire Bridage in retaining the city Ambulance service.

A protest will take place later over plans to remove ambulance services from Dublin Fire Brigade.

The Labour Party is predicted to lose all its three seats in the European Parliament in May’s elections, with Sinn Féin taking them, according to bookmakers Paddy Power.

Members of a European alliance lobbying for adequate state support for hundreds of children who developed narcolepsy after receiving a swine flu vaccine will outline their concerns today to the EU health commissioner.

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.

Fianna Fáil has agreed to back its leader on Dublin City Council to win a seat in May’s European elections after the female councillor confidently secured victory at a party selection convention last night.