Chief Justice Frank Clarke has been forced to defend the independence of the new judicial council committee in the wake of Government commentary in recent weeks.

Mr D'Arcy has ignored calls to apologise to gardaí for the controversial comments.

The junior minister said the attack on Kevin Lunney should have been dealt with "sooner and better at that level" by senior gardaí.

The visit comes in the wake of the assault of Kevin Lunney, which Mr Varadkar described as "barbaric".

A Minister of State has said that senior gardaí on the border let down directors at Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH).

Declan Jackson, director of Government Affairs with Insurance Ireland said that the judge’s comments don't tally with the industry’s understanding of information published by the Court Service

Businesses needed to “prepare for the worst”,Heather Humphreys said, with just over 60 days until the Brexit deal deadline of October 31.

Junior Finance Minister Michael D'Arcy has insisted the €500,000 annual banking pay cap should be retained, despite increasing pressure from institutions to relax the rules.

A surge in personal injury cases is costing local authorities millions in compensation payouts.

Legislation allowing judges set guidelines on personal injury awards in line with other countries should be in place by the summer, the minister in charge of insurance policy says.

The government may consider holding a referendum if compensation awards are not reined in.

Brian Lenihan wanted to take Anglo Irish Bank into public ownership before the bank guarantee was introduced.

The Finance Minister Michael Noonan the Government had to add more members to the banking inquiry to reverse a 'stroke' pulled by Fianna Fáil in the Seanad.

Sinn Féin is today urging the two Government-appointed senators to quit the banking inquiry.

Labour leadership candidate Alex White says the addition of two Government Senators to the Banking Inquiry "gives politics a bad name".

The Government is to add two more Senators to the banking inquiry to make sure it has a majority on the committee.

Counting in the Seanad Election has ended after the fifth panel of Senators, the Administrative Panel, was filled late this afternoon.

Progressive Democrats candidate Colm O'Gorman is highly unlikely to win a Dáil seat in his native Wexford constituency, according to an opinion poll published today.