Regina Doherty said that the appeal is necessary as “the cost of not appealing would be absolutely enormous to the State, and not just in terms of finances”.

The minister with responsibility for the controversial Public Services Card has said her Department’s appeal of an enforcement notice will “hopefully” be completed by March.

It cost €1.3m to buy new mobile phones for top civil servants and ministerial advisers since 2017, it can be revealed.

The agreement will run from January 1, 2020, until the end of the following year.

Brigid Flanagan is a family carer but she also wants to be a mother to her three children, something that is impossible because of her youngest child's severe health problems.

The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection has been called upon to release the legal advice she received on the Public Services Card at a stormy Dáil session this evening.

Ministers Regina Doherty and Paschal Donohoe made the comment following the publication of the Data Protection Commission’s report.

More than 6,600 pupils in 36 primary schools will receive a hot meal at lunchtime next month.

One in 10 working-age households has no one in employment.

A challenge against a decision of a District Court judge to strike out charges linked to redundancies at Clerys department store in Dublin due to delays of disclosure of evidence has been dismissed by the High Court.

The Government has rejected criticism that new laws being drawn up regarding employee tips will fail to stop businesses denying their employees tips.

Laws to ban employers from using tips or service charges to pay their workers are being drawn up by the Government.

There has been a slight increase in the number of people unemployed in Ireland for the month of June, according to the latest figures from the CSO.

Former solicitor Michael Lynn, who is on bail awaiting trial on multi-million euro theft charges, has brought a High Court challenge to a refusal to grant him disability benefit.

The principal of a Dublin inner city school has said children impacted by homelessness are not able to develop properly because of their circumstances.

Up to 60,000 parents a year are to gain new paid parental leave and benefit from November.

Government plans to give new parents two weeks’ paid parental leave are needed to help end the “taboo” of fathers staying at home to mind their child, it has been claimed.

A government ministerial driver who served in his post for six years has failed in his claim that a government department breached workplace legislation concerning his role.

A challenge against a decision by a District Court judge to strike out charges linked to redundancies at Clerys department store in Dublin due to delays of disclosure of evidence has opened before the High Court.

A Romanian family who have failed the right to reside test and so cannot receive social supports in this country today were granted leave by the High Court to bring a legal challenge.

A Fianna Fail TD’s Christmas wish that the Government would provide small farmers or pensioners with vouchers to subsidise their meals in local restaurants was dashed last week.

Farmers getting a lesser pension payment due to their PRSI contributions being interrupted during periods in receipt of farm assist may have been treated unfairly, the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, said last week.

The public is to be consulted on new water tariffs for businesses, industrial firms and farms.

Concern about plans to reform the state pension has been raised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

The number of people availing of free travel has dramatically risen along with the ageing population over the past decade.

Social welfare customers will begin to receive an increase in their weekly welfare payments this week.

Thousands of lone parents could benefit from closing off a loophole which allows estranged partners to avoid paying maintenance payments for their children.

New figures from the Central Statistics Office show the Live Register is the lowest it has been in nine years.