Joan Burton has denied that outgoing Longford Westmeath Labour TD Willie Penrose is reluctant to fight to win his Dáil seat.

Although the vast majority of TDs have embraced social media, a small cohort still believe knocking on doors and pressing palms is the way to secure a Dáil seat.

New bankruptcy laws are expetced to be introduced before Christmas.

Labour TD Willie Penrose has said that some in Fine Gael need to "wake up" to the reality of bankruptcy and Ireland's mortgage crisis.

The Parliamentary Labour Party this evening unanimously voted to back Willie Penrose's Personal Insolvency Bill.

A senior Labour figure has said proposals on cutting the bankruptcy period could get party backing later.