An Post says the decision was taken as a last resort, following ongoing threats to its staff.

The Irish company that imports coal from a Colombian mine accused of human rights abuses has recorded revenues of €2.3bn.

Homeless families are being asked to leave hotels as the St Patrick’s weekend approaches and demand for holiday accommodation increases, a Sinn Féin TD has claimed.

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.

The Dáil has failed to elect a Leas-Cheann Comhairle today.

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.

The State spent more than €66m on staffing and rental costs for its embassies around the world last year, figures released by the Department of Foreign Affairs have confirmed.

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

An Independent Alliance TD says he does not think a new Taoiseach and Government will be appointed on Wednesday.

The five TDs in Dublin South West are calling for the release of Ibrahim Halawa.

Sinn Féin TDs are in favour of scrapping the party’s industrial wage pay cap, which would more than double their pay overnight, saying there is no point in forcing politicians to stay in “poverty” in order to keep them “pure”.

Political parties have called for action to protect home-owners, small businesses, and tenants from vulture funds.

Sinn Féin TDs and senators yesterday voiced their support for leader Gerry Adams over his continued backing for convicted tax evader Tom ‘Slab’ Murphy.

Join the Oireachtas and see the world… new figures show that the spend by TDs and senators on overseas travel last year increased from €218,799 to €230,313.

A government TD has contradicted senior coalition colleagues by claiming that Ireland is “not a neutral country and we never have been”.

Concern is mounting about a threat to children’s safety after a boy and a girl were caught up in two separate shootings within six hours.

Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan is seeking clarification from the US government on whether evidence was uncovered in a recent US Senate intelligence committee report of Shannon Airport being used by the CIA for extraordinary rendition.

The Government has frozen the review of discretionary medical cards and said that, under a new policy, eligibility for all cards will take account of medical conditions.

I was tearing out the door to follow Lynn Boylan on the canvass when Mary Lou’s letter arrived. It was one of those personally addressed missives that only Fianna Fáil used to be able to afford.

A judge says he's worried about a "total breakdown" in social order in Tallaght in Dublin.

Students’ leaders yesterday warned third-level education was “at breaking point and neither parents nor students can take any more”.

A group representing retailers is urging the Gardaí not to licence a protest march planned for Dublin this weekend over the flying of the union flag at Belfast city hall.

Degree students at UCC can apply for a new loan scheme offering low interest rates to help pay the €2,250 student contribution fee.

Low-income families should get payments this month to help send more than 380,000 children and young adult dependents back to education this autumn, but fewer will qualify this year and the rates have been cut.

We, the undersigned, wish to draw your attention to the continued detention of Marian Price, which we feel constitutes an alarming breach of human and civil rights.

A security alert by a constituency office of Sinn Féin TD Mary Lou McDonald has ended this afternoon.

Chief Executive of the Higher Education Authority (HEA) Tom Boland has issued a fresh warning to the Government over funding for third level education.

Some of the workers at Game, who are engaged in a sit-in at the company's Irish stores, are visiting Leinster House this afternoon.

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn may give consideration to expanding the Deis scheme to include many other schools with high numbers of disadvantaged pupils.

People in Tallaght are reported to be living in fear after a second shooting in the south-west Dublin suburb in seven days.

Sinn Féin is calling on the Government to reverse cuts to the country's most disadvantaged schools.

Sinn Féin's Education Spokesperson Seán Crowe said today that the Government’s Budget plan to cut school's allocation of guidance counsellors will have far-reaching consequences.

Stephen Hughes Connors died in a fire when he was just 12. Ten years on, the search is ongoing for his killer, writes Caroline O’Doherty

THE Government has been warned of further education cuts widening a gap in a two-tier school system which Sinn Féin claims benefits wealthier families at the expense of students from poorer backgrounds.

A group of demonstrators will today gather outside Government Buildings in Dublin to protest against the restriction on Northerners voting in the Presidential election.

Schools will be forced to drop subjects if proposals to increase class sizes to save money go ahead, it has been warned.

THERE are reports that some leaders of Roman Catholic religious orders who represent institutions at which systematic abuse took place are reluctant to meet Ruairi Quinn.

TAOISEACH Enda Kenny was forced into a humiliating climb-down last night as he denied deliberately misleading voters over hospital closures.

Motorists and commuters were bracing themselves for traffic chaos as Ireland's largest ever security operation swung in to action for the Queen's visit.