The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg has approved the ESM bailout fund, after it was challenged by Independent TD Thomas Pringle.

Just three of the country’s 43 constituencies voted no.

A referendum vote enshrining children's rights in the constitution has been hailed as historic, despite voter apathy and a lower-than-expected majority.

Three of Ireland’s 43 constituencies voted against Government plans to enshrine children’s rights in the constitution.

The referendum to enshrine children's rights in the constitution looks set to pass, early results have indicated.

The first results of the Children's Rights Referendum have been confirmed today.

Ireland should be granted a deal to lower its bank debt now that it has passed the fiscal treaty, Enda Kenny has said.

Voters in just five of the country’s 43 constituencies rejected the referendum, with strong divisions between urban and rural areas.

Working-class Dublin joined defiant Donegal in their rejection of the European Fiscal Treaty.

Ireland has backed the European Fiscal Stability Treaty with around 60% of those that turned out to vote yesterday saying Yes to the treaty.

Results in the EU Fiscal Treaty referendum are flowing in fast this afternoon and it looks like the country has passed the 30th Amendment to the Constitution.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has said the country now needs a deal on its bank debt.

Hugh O’Donnell may be the only presiding electoral officer to have music played to him during voting in this referendum.

The Government has “no fear” of holding a referendum on the fiscal compact if one is required, says Enda Kenny.

FIANNA FÁIL, Sinn Féin and the technical group will all get their chance to respond on RTÉ television tonight to Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s state-of-the-nation address.

The first of the official counts in the Presidency are being declared this evening with Michael D Higgins is now certain to be elected the ninth President of Ireland.

With two hours of counting underway in the Presidential election, early tallies suggest Michael D Higgins will top the poll on the first count.

SO now we know the first cut of the next budget — a slashing of the Government’s credibility regarding its pledge to usher in a new era of openness and honesty.

EMBATTLED Senator David Norris shrugged off continued questioning about clemency letters for his former partner and insisted that voters had moved on from the issue.

Sinn Féin TD for Donegal South West Pearse Doherty has said with hindsight, he was exposed to what could be deemed as inappropriate behaviour by convicted paedophile Michael Ferry.

AT least nine Independent TDs have agreed in principle to forming a Dáil technical group giving them similar speaking and other rights to political parties.

Ministers who lost their seats in the general election are set to receive a ‘golden goodbye’ with huge pensions, severance payments and termination lump sums.

It has been an historic day in Co Donegal, where, for the first time ever, Sinn Féin has surpassed Fianna Fáil as the dominant party in the county.

Senior figures in the Fine Gael party have claimed they could be on course for single-party government.

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has arrived in the Louth constituency count centre where unofficial tallies of votes showed he was set to comfortably win a seat.

Fine Gael is on course to lead the next Government but appears to have failed to secure an overall majority.

CANCER services and rising fuel prices were top of the agenda when Enda Kenny carried out a whistle-stop tour of Donegal yesterday.

The outgoing Education Minister has today dismissing suggestions that she has been "hiding" during the election campaign.

A POLITICAL appointee by Tánaiste Mary Coughlan to a state board has said he will not accept the €8,250 annual fee and suggests others should follow suit.

LEADING political analyst Sean Donnelly has predicted Fianna Fáil could lose all seats in the two Co Donegal constituencies, including Tánaiste Mary Coughlan’s.

Here is a timeline of some the major events in the life of the Fianna Fáil-Green coalition:

An Independent General Election candidate has claimed he was offered a Seanad seat by Labour in an effort to woo him to the party.

Sinn Féin’s victory in the Donegal South West by-election has boosted party morale across the island, one of its leaders has said.

LAST week David McWilliams had his one-man show, Outsiders, in Tralee. I have never been much of a theatre-goer and the idea of spending an hour and a half listening to one person was not particularly appealing, especially when I tend to become decidedly restless, if the priest goes on even for 10 minutes with a Sunday sermon.

Fianna Fáil suffered a bruising tonight after an opinion poll put support at just 13%.

SINN FÉIN commands more support among the public than Fianna Fáil, according to an opinion poll which suggests the Government is heading for meltdown in the looming general election.

THEY went from record breaking poll-toppers to the bunch now blamed for bringing the country to economic disaster.

TONY Blair and George Bush maintained one maxim throughout the Iraq war.

THE EU and IMF €85 billion bailout agreement could be challenged in court by Sinn Féin, who believe it is unconstitutional to agree to the terms of a deal without a Dáil vote.

The Government was today accused of pawning the country in signing up to the multi-billion euro international bailout.

Sinn Féin is considering a legal challenge to the Government's decision not to put the EU/IMF bailout deal to a Dáil vote.

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has refused to respond to comments made by retiring Justice Minister Dermot Ahern that he (Adams) is a "parachutist" into the Louth constituency.

WHAT does Fianna Fail have to do to alienate their core supporters?