Socialist TD Joe Higgins has branded the move by Clare County Council to request household charge payment receipts from families applying for student grants as an "outrageous development".

The Socialist Party has insisted that Clare Daly’s “political connection” to tax evader Mick Wallace was the “elephant in the room” that led to her departure from the party.

The Local Government Management Agency has this evening reported that just 29% of householders have registered to pay the €100 household charge.

Opposition leaders have united to demand a referendum on EU fiscal union even if the Attorney General rules it does not interfere with the constitution.

THE identity of the bondholders who were repaid $1billion (€715million) by the Irish taxpayer on behalf of Anglo yesterday remains a mystery.

The Queen should be asked to pay for “bed and breakfast” to cushion the cost of her State visit on hard-pressed Irish taxpayers, it has been claimed.

Immigrants are using bogus PPS numbers to obtain work permits and open bank accounts to lodge welfare cheques, the Dáil’s finance watchdog heard today.

TAXPAYERS will be landed with a bill of €600 million to buy-out M50 toll operators - even though the Government believes the company may be in breach of its contract.

THE latest public hearing into institutional child abuse will begin tomorrow when representatives of the Sisters of Charity make statements to the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse about a Kilkenny industrial school run by them.

THE Public Accounts Committee (PAC) last night expressed outrage after being denied access to key documents which one member said could expose a “massive rip-off” of taxpayers’ cash pumped into the disastrous MediaLab venture.

Bertie Ahern isn’t a drug pusher, despite accusations to the contrary, and at least he buys a round of drinks.

Socialist TD Joe Higgins has called on the city's trade unions to help defeat plans by Dublin Corporation to turn O'Connell St into a "no-go area for street protests".