Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte said he had “no hand” in determining how RTÉ dealt with a recent defamation case over comments he made on air.

THE Government will be forced into an embarrassing Dáil vote next week on Fine Gael proposals to ban ministerial pensions, as four serving Fianna Fáil politicians refuse to give them up.

The Magill magazine awards were announced last night and Education Minister Mary Hanafin was named politician of the year.