The Fine Gael/Labour government is being warned it faces a similar fate to the Fianna Fáil/Green coalition unless it U-turns on the issue of special needs assistants (SNAs).

A gaelscoil principal who was sacked last summer for saying that religion should be taught outside school hours has dropped his appeal against the dismissal.

A bitter dispute is raging over a decision to sack the principal of a multi-denominational Gaelscoil in Co Meath.