Four celebrity chefs, 12 questions. Ahead of the Irish Examiner Food Festival next week, Darina Allen, Andrew Rudd, Rachel Allen and Paolo Tullio reveal their dream dinner party guests, memorable meals — and their favourite summer recipes.

Up to 3,000 construction and maintenance jobs will be created this summer by extra funding allocated to the new jobs initiative scheme.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny and his new team of Ministers have received their seals of office.

There is growing speculation that Tommy Broughan will confirm within the next 24 hours whether he is to contest the leadership of the Labour Party.

Green Party candidate John Gormley has extended his lead over Tánaiste Micheal McDowell following the fourth count in Dublin South East.

THE Government has defended its decision to provide less than half of the extra staff sought by the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE).

THE United States has so far failed to disclose the identity of an Irish citizen it says its troops captured fighting alongside insurgents in Iraq.

IRELAND’S military neutrality is not threatened by the EU Nice Treaty, Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowan said last night.

The Labour party is maintaining that a full decade is needed to bring infrastructure up to the required standard.

The Labour Party has launched its policy proposals on agriculture called ‘Towards a Living Land’.

It has been reported today that Mayo Fine Gael deputy Michael Ring has declined an attractive offer to defect to the Labour Party.

Labour Party leader, Ruari Quinn, has called on Northern Secretary, Peter Mandelson, to clarify reports in morning papers that he will shelve Patten reform of the RUC.