The ethics watchdog has said it is powerless to investigate whether a TD on the Oireachtas’ Sports Committee broke any rules when he obtained World Cup final tickets through the FAI.

Two councillors who were featured in an undercover investigation by RTÉ have been found to have contravened ethics laws during the secretly filmed meetings with a fictitious company.

Eight lobbyists were threatened with court proceedings last year by the ethics watchdog over alleged breaches of regulations, the Irish Examiner can reveal.

Michael D Higgins must reimburse taxpayers for using publicly funded services, including cars, offices, or staff at Áras an Uachtaráin during his campaign for re-election, the State’s ethics watchdog has declared.

Foreign donations will be banned and individual contributions to candidates limited to €1,000 under draft guidelines for the presidential election.

The State’s ethics watchdog has confirmed that it has brought prosecutions against those who have failed to abide by lobbying laws.

The US foundation which awarded funding to Amnesty Ireland for its campaign against Ireland’s abortion laws has taken issue with the State ethics watchdog’s claims that it had said the money was for “political purposes”.

The Taoiseach has dismissed as political points-scoring the Labour Party’s criticism of the Government’s new, €5m ‘good news’ unit.

An unsuccessful general election candidate was jailed for five days yesterday for refusing to pay a €300 fine arising out of his conviction for failing to file a list of donations with the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo).

The council chief executive rapped by a political standards watchdog for contravening ethics legislation has walked away with a gross €238,364 lump sum on his retirement.

The State’s political corruption watchdog has warned that a proposed bill could undermine its independence and effectively create an “amnesty” situation for officials facing investigations, unless key shortcomings are addressed.

Politicians have been warned to stop using taxpayer-paid Oireachtas envelopes to send out general election leaflets, after “a number” of TDs and Senators were caught misusing the service.

Politicians have been warned to stop using Oireachtas envelopes paid for by taxpayers to send out general election leaflets after "a number" of TDs and Senators were caught misusing the service.

Environment Minister Alan Kelly has ordered a crackdown on councillors who submit incorrect expenses, and instructed that rules for claims be overhauled in local authorities.

A Fianna Fáil senator wants an investigation into an alleged duplication of expense claims conducted in Irish — and he is taking this fight to the Supreme Court.

A Fianna Fáil senator wants an investigation into an alleged duplication of expense claims conducted in Irish — and he is taking this fight to the Supreme Court.

Dublin City Council challenged one of the State’s watchdogs in court but the only real outcome is that the taxpayer foots both bills, writes Investigative Correspondent Conor Ryan.

Reform Alliance’s Lucinda Creighton has backed calls from the political standards watchdog requesting Envisronment Minister Phil Hogan to publish the legal advice he has received about his standoff with the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo).

The Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) has published the results of its investigation which decided Michael Lowry had no case to answer arising from his land interest in Wigan.

Plans to force political parties to publish full financial accounts annually are facing resistance from Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, who have expressed concerns about the implications for local branches.

New laws that would force anti-abortion campaign group Youth Defence to disclose the source of its funding are being considered by Environment Minister Phil Hogan.

Transport Minister Leo Varadkar has insisted that embattled Fine Gael colleague John Perry has “done nothing wrong”.

Political watchdogs are seeking more information from Alan Shatter, the justice minister, regarding his controversial exposé of Independent TD Mick Wallace escaping penalty points.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has been branded a hypocrite over his attitude to the Mick Wallace penalty points affair.

Justice Minister Alan Shatter has said he discovered during a Garda briefing that Independent TD Mick Wallace was stopped for using a mobile phone while driving.

Labour Party rebel Deputy Colm Keaveney last night demanded a public apology from the Standards in Public Office (Sipo) Commission after claiming the watchdog wrongly named him as the only member of the Oireachtas not to provide any details of political donations last year.

The English property that Michael Lowry has claimed to be landlocked has a full right of way through a specially designated access strip in an adjoining housing estate.

BRENDAN Howlin, the public expenditure minister, has said that long-awaited legislation needed to reform the ethics laws for people in public life will be brought to the Government early next year.

The Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo), the current ethics watchdog, has no teeth, so it is not able to bite.

A Dáil ethics watchdog probe into a Sinn Féin TD’s practice of donating much of her salary to party activities will be concluded next month.

Independent TDs and senators received €713,885 in unvouched and untaxed allowances on top of their salaries last year.

A Fine Gael senator is facing separate Seanad and party investigations after failing to provide a tax clearance certificate to the State’s ethics watchdog.

An official political watchdog has criticised the lack of transparency concerning the rules on how Government ministers can claim expenses when using their private vehicles.

Labour TD Arthur Spring failed to provide a tax clearance certificate to the State’s ethics watchdog for over a year after being elected in a move which was “intentional” and a serious matter, an investigation has found.

POLITICIANS and public servants who owe substantial sums to banks should have to declare such liabilities in the public interest, the state’s ethics watchdog has said.

FINE GAEL made a complaint to SIPO in 2008 about former taoiseach Bertie Ahern, who was trying to fend off the Mahon Tribunal probe into his financial dealings at the time.

THE state’s ethics watchdog has sharply criticised the Government for failing to introduce legal rules to govern the conduct of employees of state agencies.

Most public servants are not bound by any code of conduct – seven years after legislation was enacted on the issue, the State’s ethics watchdog warned today.

Fine Gael chief Enda Kenny has today urged Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to stand down as leader of the country over the ongoing controversy about his financial affairs.

THE Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) referred 13 files to gardaí for alleged contraventions of the electoral acts, including files relating to former Clare TD and senator, Madeleine Taylor Quinn.

THE political ethics watchdog is to investigate the actions of two councillors linked to a controversial rezoning in Killarney.

Ireland must continue adopting anti-corruption measures to increase public confidence in state bodies, it was claimed today.

Taxpayers funded political parties to the tune of almost €12m in 2005, figures revealed tonight.