Ministers were left red-faced after it was revealed 299 staff at Irish Water are in line for bonuses of up to €7,000 on average — despite Cabinet outrage at the move.

The Government is continuing to break its own rules on appointments to state boards, with the majority of positions filled by people selected by ministers without going through a public advertisement process.

Pensioners on high retirement incomes could see their entitlements slashed by up to 50% as the Government tries to ensure funds in insolvent defined benefit schemes are distributed more fairly between those in retirement and those still of working age.

Age Action has warned the Government that many older people are now at breaking point.

The Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar has defended the Government’s programme for recovery in the wake of comments made by the Social Protection Minister Joan Burton.

A Fine Gael TD has defended the Department of Finance's Secretary General John Moran, who is being criticised by the Labour Minister Joan Burton over comments he made about house repossessions.

President Michael D Higgins has defended his dramatic intervention into the abortion law row following the death of Savita Halappanavar.

The ESRI has cautioned the Government against increasing PRSI contributions in the Budget.

Emergency cash will be made available to victims of the recent flooding in parts of Cork to help cover the basic contents of homes,including carpets, flooring, and furniture.

The Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said he will not say whether a hike in PRSI would be the same as increasing income tax, and therefore a u-turn on a Coalition promise.

Hundreds of angry protesters stormed Garda barricades at a Labour Party conference today.

Michael Lowry's son has reacted to the controversy surrounding a meeting between his father and Minister Phil Hogan by saying it must be a "slow news week".

Enda Kenny will jet off to the US today on a St Patrick’s mission to boost Ireland’s image to the world and attract foreign investment.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has today said that Social Protection Minister Joan Burton is not at odds with the Taoiseach.

The Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has said the Government is cutting exceptional needs payments

The Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has said it will take a number of years to implement a new single-payment social welfare system, which will include a cash penalty for people who don't avail of retraining.

EVERYONE who is currently long-term unemployed will be either back to work or in training courses by the end of the Government’s term, the Taoiseach has pledged.

IT was a quiet rebellion with a little-known TD at its centre.

The Social Protection Minister Joan Burton is defending the €475m of spending cuts which accounts for 2% of her Department's budget.

The Labour Party has said any cut in Child Benefit in next month's Budget will be a "difficult pill to swallow".

MORE than 27,000 working families have been forced to claim emergency welfare payments as they are not earning enough to make ends meet.

A SPECIAL investigation unit cracking down on social welfare abuse has netted savings of €37 million so far this year as it goes after trades and professions in the “hidden economy”.

THREE out of four defined benefit pension schemes are in deficit and those paying into them risk receiving less than they expected because of failures to reduce the exposure of such funds to equity markets.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan has announced a halving in the lower rate of PRSI for new employees until the end of 2013 on jobs that pay up to €365 per week.

St. Patrick's Day parades are taking place all across the country this afternoon in honour of our patron saint.