Political reform must remain part of any new Programme for Government if our democracy is to be kept transparent and healthy, writes Theresa Reidy.

Eoin English reports on the latest developments from the Cork council merger plan.

A co-author of a minority report which helped sink plans for a Cork super-council has broken his silence to urge the Government to move quickly and extend the city boundary.

A review into the proposed merger of Cork city and county councils has recommended both authorities be maintained and the city boundary be extended for the first time in more than 50 years.

The minister for local government has said he hopes to get political consensus on a new report he intends publishing within weeks which will shape the future of local government arrangements in Cork for the next 50 years.

Minister for Local Government Simon Coveney has announced a review of the controversial merger plan for Cork city and county councils in a bid to find a compromise.

Irish and international political rivals must work more closely with each other to stave off the rise of the far right in Europe and the politics of fear in other parts of the world, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan will tell party colleagues today.

Support for establishment parties is falling, but slowly, and gains for some candidates on the left could not be described as a transformation in political ideology, writes Theresa Reidy

A local government expert has called for “open engagement” in a bid to build on common ground contained in the controversial Cork councils merger report.

Good morning. Here’s everything you need to know before you start your day.

Now the date has finally been announced, we face a fairly short election campaign that will be split into what campaigners call the air war and the ground war, says Theresa Reidy

Two key figures in the body which recommended a merger of Cork city and county councils have declined several invitations to appear before an Oireachtas committee.

150 political scientists will gather in Cork this weekend for the annual Political Studies Association of Ireland (PSAI) conference.

The President of University College Cork (UCC) has defended the right of academics to speak out against the Cork super-council plan.

A split has emerged in Labour over the proposal to merge Cork city and county councils, with a TD accusing Environment Minister Alan Kelly of rushing to accept the findings.

Cork City Council is to seek a judicial review of the administrative actions of the review group which has recommended a merger of the city and county councils.

The chair of the group which has recommended a controversial merger of Cork city and county councils wants to hold high-level briefings with those on both sides of the debate amid mounting criticism.

The controversial proposed merger of Cork city and county councils will take years to implement with the environment minister admitting the required legislation will not be introduced in the lifetime of the Government.

THAT the report from a five-person committee asked to consider the amalgamation of Cork city and county councils submitted to Environment Minister Alan Kelly last week was adopted by the narrowest possible margin is not at all surprising. Indeed, any other outcome would have been entirely unexpected.

A landmark report recommending the merger of Cork city and county councils will be published today.

Developer Owen O’Callaghan says he would consider moving his business to Dublin if a merger of Cork’s local authorities goes ahead.

Cork’s most senior government minister has refused to say whether he favours a merger of the region’s two local authorities or a city boundary extension.

A split has emerged in the Cork local government review group with two of its five members poised to vigorously oppose a recommendation to merge the two local authorities.

Good evening. Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today.

Good afternoon. Here’s all the news you need to know this lunchtime.

A number of politicians have faced personal and hateful abuse, with the public discourse seeming to revel in and help swell this growing animosity, writes Theresa Reidy 

18 lord mayor have set aside party politics to unite against a super council and to spark public debate, says Eoin English

Group to issue recommendations on local government in September, says Eoin English

The chair of the expert group reviewing Cork’s city boundary and possible merger of the city and county councils has promised full engagement with stakeholders.

Nine months after the Seanad was saved, we’re still wondering why it was retained, writes Prof Gary Murphy

ASK anyone from a rival party what’s the secret of Sinn Féin’s rise in popularity and they all say the same thing: They’ve never been in Government.

More than three years on, Labour has found itself with no other choice but to stick it out with Fine Gael because it dreads to imagine the alternative, writes Political Editor Mary Regan.

One in five Irish citizens no longer believe in democracy — one of the lowest percentages in the EU — according to a detailed survey on the health of national governments.

FINE Gael’s campaign to abolish the Seanad has brought the debate about political reform back into the headlines.

The first meeting of the convention on the Constitution will gather later this month.

Underwhelming voter turnout needs to be addressed, says Juno McEnroe

The no side merges those at either end of the political spectrum, says Theresa Reidy

As Éamon Ó Cuív slips into obscurity, his party is making tentative gains, writes Dr Theresa Reidy

Joan Burton has defended the fact that Labour has yet to officially launch its campaign for a yes vote in the fiscal compact treaty referendum.

PRESIDENT Mary McAleese has called a meeting next Tuesday of the Council of State to consider the Credit Institutions (Stabilisation) Bill on the reform of the banking sector.