How did this all come about?

I joined the Labour Party as an ordinary member in my early 20s, and I’ve been a member now for not far short of half a century.

The race for Áras an Uachtaráin is officially underway.

Former communications minister Pat Rabbitte has said his retired garda driver told him of rumours on the Garda “grapevine” about Maurice McCabe, including that he could not be trusted with children.

The Government’s proposed 12-week access abortion law that it wants to introduce if the Eighth Amendment is removed could be changed to take account of new medical breakthroughs in years to come, an expert has said.

President Michael D Higgins was among the mourners at the funeral Mass for former Ceann Comhairle and 46-year veteran of the Dáil Seamus Pattison who was buried in his native Kilkenny this afternoon.

There is a proposal for the Revenue to take over collecting the TV licence fee from An Post.

The taxpayer paid out close to €20m last year in pensions, lump sums, and other retirement benefits to former politicians.

LATEST: Former Minister Pat Rabbitte has criticised those responsible for letting the sub-standard accommodation.

Former taoiseach Enda Kenny has ruled out any possibility of running for the presidency and said it is entirely a matter for Michael D Higgins if he wants to remain at Áras an Uachtaráin.

The recent release of new economic growth measures has again prompted a debate on regional — from which we can generally read urban versus rural — development in Ireland.

Had Mayo possessed one more scoring forward these past few years they’d have long ago found what they were looking for, says Enda McEvoy.

It's an odity in this country that we insist on universal entitlements but bristle at universal charges, writes Gerard Howlin

Macron appealed to French nationalism to bolster allegiance to the EU: ‘We built this Europe’, writes Victoria White

Enda Kenny’s approach has been to treat the whistleblower as if he had the equivalent of a political plague, writes Alison O’Connor.

The real damage caused by the Apple decision is the toxicity of uncertainty it imposes on Ireland’s corporate offering, perhaps for years,’ writes Gerard Howlin

The recent Energy in Agriculture featured 30 talks, six demonstration events and 45 exhibitors — all focusing on the sustainable use and production of energy in the agricultural sector.

It has been claimed vulture funds that have spent millions purchasing Irish loans are using tax loopholes to cut down on the amount they pay here.

A Government setting up a task force sounds impressive. It’s what the Taoiseach told the Dáil on Wednesday. The task force, he said, will deal with the “local situation” in the north inner city.

Wexford TD and former minister Brendan Howlin has been elected unchallenged as the 12th leader of the Labour Party.

At the third attempt, Brendan Howlin has become the Labour leader.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny could be gone from his post within months, it has emerged.

The flag-waving and cheers of recent days provoked all the usual debates about 1916, confirming once again, as if it needed to be, that we all cling to our particular beliefs certain in the knowledge that our view is the correct one and that any other need not be countenanced.

The fall-out from its disastrous election performance was reflected in a stormy six-hour meeting this week, but the Labour party faces an enormous task to revive its fortunes and regain the trust and support of the electorate, writes Political Correspondent Juno McEnroe

It was a buoyant day for TDs at Leinster House but a wistful one for others, as the newly-elected gathered for their first giddy day at school, while some pensively packed up their bags after decades of service.

Earlier this week, the highly experienced political strategist and pundit Fergus Finlay wrote that he was “absolutely convinced that the issue of accountability, and how its absence runs the risk of corrupting our State, should be a central issue in the general election campaign”.

There was a confident and casual air among delegates at Labour’s party conference over the weekend.

Pat Rabbitte, Michael Kitt, and Joe Higgins are among the political stalwarts who have taken the opportunity to bid farewell to the Dáil before stepping down.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said that he would consider the possibility of holding a second referendum to give more powers to Oireachtas inquiries in future.

THE weeks leading up to Christmas might be described as the Anything-in-Wonderland period. 

Good afternoon. Here’s all the news you need to know this lunchtime

Labour is also losing three of its most experienced members, three former leaders in fact, writes Alison O’Riordan

The Government has used the Finance Bill to rubber-stamp its long-since mooted broader tax terms for exploration firms with Irish offshore interests, despite widespread calls for a revision of the proposals in light of depressed oil prices.