In 2011, the ascension of Enda Kenny from opposition leader to Taoiseach and the possibilities this offered his county was for some people in Mayo, home of the Knock shrine, like the second coming of Christ.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has told party delegates they must not “hand” the economy to “unknown quantities with unknown intentions” who might “wreck” any recovery after he and two other Fine Gael TDs in his constituency were selected unopposed to run in the upcoming general election.

A leading consumer watchdog has slammed plans by insurance companies to impose more hikes to premiums this year, claiming the industry and regulators are effectively “softening up” the public to meekly accept increases at a time when most other costs are tumbling across the economy.

Business and consumer groups have called on the Government to launch a probe into the grip that Allied Irish Banks and Bank of Ireland have over Irish banking and to consider the possibility of breaking up AIB to boost competition.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has moved to calm concerns about the potential sale of Aer Lingus and insisted any deal will be done in the “best interests of the whole country”.

The most powerful independent consumer voice in the country has voiced an 11th-hour warning about the future of Aer Lingus, as the Government late last night endorsed the takeover offer by Willie Walsh’s IAG Group.

Ireland was the fifth most expensive EU state in 2013.

Independent candidates from none of the established parties were among the biggest winners in the local elections, attracting the greatest share of the vote last night.

An Independent has become the first councillor elected in the country, with Michael Kilcoyne topping the Mayo poll with two quotas.

Laws must be introduced to prevent landlords and developers from renting "fitted out" rooms to rogue dentists, some of whom are performing flawed procedures before moving on to avoid facing the consequences.

A post mortem is taking place this afternoon on the body of a woman who was found in a house in Co. Mayo yesterday.

Staff at an acute psychiatric unit in Ennis have confirmed that drug use among patients has been a problem but said no such unit was likely to be “immune” from the issue.

A free independent service will allow dental patients to resolve complaints about their treatment.

Online retailer Littlewoods could be left counting the cost after eagle-eyed shoppers spotted a seven-piece furniture set worth €899 for sale on its website for €21.

The Consumers Association of Ireland has said there is no justification for increases to the cost of gas and electricity.

Patient medical records from a Co Mayo hospital have been found in a bin at a housing estate in Ballina.

TDs and senators face an external audit of their expense claims after the Oireachtas hired an outside firm to trawl through travel and other costs submitted by members.

A MAYO town has been accused of turning its back on Monsignor James Horan by refusing to name, in his honour, the airport he founded.

PEOPLE on the island of Inis Meáin had their water switched off for almost a full day after the escalation of a pay row which has already frozen flights to and from the island.

MORE 140 workers at the Musgrave supermarket group’s Galway depot were yesterday told they would lose their jobs in June.

PUBLIC service unions in Cork have called off their planned strike to continue emergency work in flood devastated areas.

THE annual €40 stamp duty on credit cards is to fall to €30 and the levy on cash machine cards is to halve to €5.

CONSUMER watchdogs want to change Irish law so consumers can jointly take on big companies in the courts for the first time.

CONSUMERS remain unhappy with the way banks, credit card firms and lenders handle complaints — despite a new charter on customer rights.

ELECTRICITY supply giant ESB last night came under fire for announcing a “miserly” drop of €7.66 in household bills.

CONSUMERS should see their mobile phone bills fall after Ireland’s three main operators agreed to lower their costs, industry watchdogs said yesterday.

Calls have been made for the Government to impose a maximum price order on food, after the latest Eurostat survey showed our groceries cost 25% more than the European average.

CONSUMERS and farmers are being ripped off with a mark-up of more than 200% on basic foodstuffs between the farm gate and the supermarket shelf, Fine Gael claimed yesterday.

HEALTH insurance giant VHI yesterday poured cold water on reports that its 1.56 million members face a 15% rise in premiums in the autumn.

The Taoiseach is seeking a meeting with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) and business group IBEC to discuss inflation after the new Government is formed.

TELECOMS watchdogs have had to bring in new rules to stop mobile phone users from falling victim to a growing type of internet scam.

PYRAMID schemes are to be banned under new laws coming into effect next week.

THE big banks are still free to bump up spending limits on credit cards without the say-so of cardholders — despite a ban proposed two years ago to protect consumers.

THE Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) has launched a crackdown on companies involved in sending people unsolicited premium text messages.

EIRCOM is attracting rocketing complaints from phone customers about faults while taking longer to deal with repairs, the Government’s phones watchdog ComReg said yesterday.

AN POST yesterday launched two new 48c stamps — just five days before postal rates rise 7c to 55c.

CONSUMERS hunting for cheap business or holiday flights face a bewildering array of charges, just for luggage.

BORD GÁIS’S household supply division is on course to make a loss this year despite forcing record 20% price hikes onto consumers.

Broadband service in Ireland needs to be radically overhauled, the Consumer Association said today.