Ireland will maintain diplomatic relations with the Vatican through an ambassador based in Dublin, it has been confirmed.

THE Government is to close Ireland’s embassy to the Vatican but has denied that the decision was taken because of the fallout from the Cloyne Report.

Ireland is to close its embassies in the Vatican and Iran and its representative office in Timor Leste as part of measures to cut Government expenditure, it was announced this evening.

The North's first-ever Police Ombudsman, Nuala O'Loan, has been appointed to the British House of Lords.

Ireland can play a vital role in resolving global conflicts by sharing experiences of its troubled history, it was claimed today.