You should all be ashamed of yourselves. All 32 of you.

A “rattled and shaken” Taoiseach Enda Kenny had his leadership called into question for the first time in six years by angry Fine Gael TDs and senators last night.

The Government will this week face pressure to set up a taskforce to examine the soaring costs of motor insurance as consumers continue to be hit with huge hikes in their premiums.

The four way race for the €35,000-a-year position of Dáil vice chairman ended in a stalemate yesterday despite two hours of voting in the Dáil.

Decisions on who chairs Oireachtas Committees as well as who takes the position of Leas Ceann Comhairle of the Dáil are expected to be decided later this week.

Disgruntled Fine Gael TDs have complained about newly appointed ministers travelling into their constituencies for public events without giving them notice.

Health Minister Leo Varadkar has criticised Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin for nominating party candidates to be the next ceann comhairle.

A number of senior Fianna Fáil TDs believe real talks on forming a government will only begin after Thursday, when the first attempt to elect a taoiseach is made.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has told party TDs to downplay talk of “red line” issues before any potential negotiations on government — which could take at least two months — begin.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are set to have another battle on their hands for the position of ceann comhairle. 

The habit of giving nicknames has been around a long time and can say a lot about the recipient — or not. Dave Kenny does some research

A full recount will take place 10am in the morning in the Midlands North-West European constituency following the announcement of the count eight in Castlebar just before midnight.

Deirdre Clune of Cork’s Barry political dynasty fought off party young gun Simon Harris to clinch a second seat for Fine Gael in a marathon Ireland South election count.

Matt Carthy is the third MEP elected for the Midlands North-West constituency

The rise and rise of Sinn Féin — due in no small part to girl power — continued last night with the election in the South constituency of Liadh Ní Riada.

As fledgling candidate Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan took wing for Europe, veteran MEP Jim Higgins acknowledged he was poised to make his Euro exit.

A new opinion poll for the European elections suggests Fine Gael should take two of the four seats in the Ireland South constituency.

WHEN the planes went into the Twin Towers on 9/11, Brian Fagan realised it was time to hightail it out of Afghanistan.

The Labour Party is predicted to lose all its three seats in the European Parliament in May’s elections, with Sinn Féin taking them, according to bookmakers Paddy Power.

Enda might still abandon Mick and Ming

Globalisation solution is an EU problem

A deal on fish policy for the next decade was pulled back from the brink when EU member states agreed to a new set of compromises put forward by Fisheries Minister Simon Coveney.

Rory Gallagher’s YouTube sensation 'Jimmy’s Winning Matches' will have to be performed solo on tour this week after his sidekick 'Jimmy' failed to get a visa to enter Ireland in time.

Rehn bares all in the sauna

IT is hard to believe that anyone with any intelligence was surprised by the High Court ruling this week that the Donegal South-West by-election should be held without further delay. The existing delay, since the election of Pat ‘the Cope’ Gallagher to the European Parliament in June 2009, has been the longest in the history of the state.

THE Government has been forced into holding a by-election it doesn’t want in the middle of finalising the most important budget in the history of the state.

THERE is a tendency among tottering regimes to cling to power at any cost – a brand of political arrogance usually associated with less than constitutional ‘banana republics’.

SINCE Dáil Éireann was established in 1919 there have been 125 by-elections. All but 11 of those were held within six months of the vacancy occurring. But the current Dáil has three vacancies, two of which are already more than six months old and the third well over a year and heading for a record delay.

LABOUR leader Eamon Gilmore believes his party is about to “recast the political map of this country”.

THERE are currently three vacancies in the Dáil brought about by resignations. Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher stood down in 2009 after his election to the European Parliament. Earlier this year George Lee of Fine Gael resigned his South Dublin seat in a tizzy and Martin Cullen stepped down from his Waterford seat due to health reasons.

BRIAN Cowen faced a deepening leadership crisis last night as Fianna Fáil TDs expressed despair at his failure to hold the party together.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen today ruled out a Donegal South West by-election at the same time as the second Lisbon Treaty referendum.

POSTURING has begun ahead of the by-election to fill the Dáil seat vacated with Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher’s departure for Europe.

SENATOR Alan Kelly capped a sensational European election for Labour when defeating sitting Independent MEP Kathy Sinnott for the final seat in the Ireland South constituency last night.

Libertas leader Declan Ganley lost 3,000 votes in the European Parliament poll after his demand for an investigation into the allocation of ballots embarrassingly backfired.

LIBERTAS founder Declan Ganley has been accused of exploiting people’s sensitivities over ethical issues to get himself elected to the European Parliament.

THE simmering row that has scarred relations between two of Irish sport’s most important bodies blazed back to life yesterday when Pat Hickey launched an astonishing broadside at the Irish Sports Council (ISC).

SOCIAL enterprises contribute €2.6 billion to the Irish economy, providing employment for 88,000 people, according to recent research.

The Taoiseach has sacked three junior ministers and promoted five backbenchers to the position of Minister of State.

THE battle will go down in history as The Battle of the Tearoom, the latest episode in the longstanding and poisonously bitter feud between two prominent Fianna Fáil TDs.

THE Government yesterday pledged to step up its efforts on child protection, but was warned not to forget recommendations drafted in the aftermath of last year’s constitutional crisis.

Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan has been elected in the first count of the Donegal South West constituency.