Parties outline proposals for political reform

Radical overhaul of Ireland's political system was top of the agenda as the main parties tried to outdo each other in the opening rounds of week two in the election campaign.

Cutting the Taoiseach's pay packet, capping salaries for senior civil servants and slashing money from donors were the key planks of big change proposals by Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Labour as they tried to regain public trust and win votes.