Department of Justice officials are set to be hauled before the Dáil’s spending watchdog after it emerged there was never any reason to spend €50m on the “white elephant” Thornton Hall super-prison project.

Gardaí have called off a search of the land where the dismembered remains of a Dublin criminal were found and have formally declared a murder investigation.

UP TO 70 jobs are at risk in north Co Dublin because of pay costs, the Irish Farmers Association claimed last night.

A local resident has reportedly threatened the Government with legal action over the proposal to build a so-called "super prison" on the Dublin-Meath border.