Éamon Ó Cuív’s decision to stay in Fianna Fáil “for all its faults” was hardly surprising given his family lineage and lifelong involvement with the party founded by his grandfather.

The dispute between the Government and the turf cutters is entrenched as both sides engage in a battle of words and wills, writes Conall Ó Fátharta

THREE women made an eleventh-hour decision yesterday to register as candidates in the Clare constituency in an effort to “balance the ballot.”

THE son of former president Dr Patrick Hillery, Dr John Hillery, said yesterday he is willing to take a €100,000 hit in income if his hopes of being elected to the next Dáil are realised.

A new watchdog for TV and radio programmes in Ireland will begin work in early 2009, it emerged today.

ONE of this week’s news spectaculars was Ian Paisley launching Dana Rosemary Scallon’s autobiography, All Kinds of Everything. Anywhere else, that would have been just another photo-op but in Northern Ireland it was an event of real significance.

Fianna Fáil has chosen the last of its candidates to contest the forthcoming General Election.

POLITICAL parties have been urged to show real commitment to equality in 2007 — by running equal numbers of male and female candidates in the upcoming general election.

SEAN HAUGHEY’S newfound ministerial status may have come as a political relief, but some weighty issues will keep him on his feet at the Department of Education between now and next year’s general election.

WITH the most delicious timing, Bertie Ahern made good on a blank cheque for Haughey yesterday.

Sean Haughey was this afternoon promoted to Minister of State at the Department of Education.

The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, is expected to announce a new Minister of State this afternoon to replace Síle de Valera.

Síle de Valera is due to step down from her role as Junior Minister for Education today ahead of her retirement from politics at the next election.

FIANNA Fáil TDs expect no surprises when Taoiseach Bertie Ahern names a replacement for resigning Junior Minister Síle de Valera next week.

LARGE Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) colleges are set to get increased funding and revised staffing levels, it has emerged.

HALF of homosexual secondary school students have suffered bullying in the previous three months, a survey has revealed.

Over €2m will be spent helping early school-leavers who are suffering from literacy problems, it was confirmed today.

YOUNGSTERS suffering homophobic abuse in school may be able to bring theiraggressors to book at the Equality Tribunal, it was revealed yesterday.

Youngsters suffering homophobic abuse in school may be able to bring their aggressors to book, it was revealed today.

Sile de Valera today announced she is to resign as Minister of State on December 8.

A KEY position, in Government efforts to improve youth work structures, has been filled three years after being planned.

Over two hundred young people are gathered in Dublin today for the third annual National Youth Conference.

A PLAN to promote the arts in schools and colleges is to be drawn up by a group of experts announced by the Government yesterday.

EDUCATION Minister Mary Hanafin has asked her junior minister Síle de Valera to investigate the exclusion of a Catholic brother and sister from a special school bus which is to be provided to the Protestant-managed Villiers School.

THE restoration of the Asgard will have turned into a decade-long saga by the time it is finally completed.

BUS drivers warned yesterday they may consider industrial action if the Government does not urgently invest in improving the country’s school bus fleet.

SOME schools are in danger of becoming ghettos for non-national students who require assistance in overcoming language and other educational barriers, a union leader has claimed.

INFORMATION on how arts organisations can protect children, deal with allegations against staff and accidents is featured in a book launched yesterday.

THE chief executive of the St Patrick’s Festival in Dublin yesterday said urgent action was needed to prevent the parade being marred by drunken disorder or a repeat of the violence surrounding the ‘Love Ulster’ parade nine days ago.

FIANNA FÁIL’S focus is on “perks and Mercs” and not on running the country, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has said.

THE chaos theory holds that a butterfly flapping its wings somewhere in the world can cause - through a whole series of connected events - carnage and catastrophe.

THE controversy about whether Seán Haughey was shafted or just plain peed off has been an entirely spurious one.

Fianna Fáil TD Sean Haughey today denied reports that he may stand as an independent candidate at the next general election.

The Taoiseach and Síle de Valera are expected to come face to face today in a row over her future as Minister of State.

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern re-ignited the reshuffle row yesterday with a blunt signal to junior minister Síle de Valera she will have to leave office this year.

BERTIE AHERN reflected in an interview with this paper that a major speech he gave on 1916 in UCD had been smothered by the media.

The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has hinted that he wants Síle de Valera to step aside as Junior Education Minister before the next general election.

THE possibility of Dublin North Central TD Sean Haughey withdrawing from politics was widely discounted yesterday as others in the constituency eyed up the impact such a move would bring.

The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is expected to announce a minor reshuffle of his junior ministers later today.

WITH the Cabinet expected to appoint a new Minister of State at the Department of Transport this week, Sean Haughey has firmly thrown his hat into the ring by saying the post would be the next logical step in his career.

SEAN HAUGHEY, the son of former Taoiseach Charles Haughey, is widely expected to be promoted to the junior ministerial ranks later today.

IT’S a curious thing. If someone rises through the ranks of the Garda Siochána to become commissioner, they’re not expected, when their term ends, to go back to being a rank-and-file garda.

AN EXTRA 400 primary teaching posts will be created over the next two years to help reduce class sizes, Education Minister Mary Hanafin promised yesterday.