politics

Infrastructure projects suitable for fast-tracking to be identified in coming weeks
Infrastructure projects suitable for fast-tracking to be identified in coming weeks
Jack  Chambers said he will bring legislation to Cabinet in March 

Thu, 12 Feb, 2026

Irish Cabinet meeting
TĂĄnaiste urges anyone with information related to Epstein files to contact gardaĂ­
Labour TD Duncan Smith pointed to mentions of Ireland in the files

Thu, 12 Feb, 2026

Votes Are Counted In The 2024 Irish General Election
Gerry Hutch clashes with journalist as he confirms he will stand in Dublin by-election
He said his approach would be “similar to the last one,” but hinted at “a few extra things.” 

Thu, 12 Feb, 2026

Department of Health seeks new top civil servant as Robert Watt’s term expires
Department of Health seeks new top civil servant as Robert Watt’s term expires
Mr Watt’s successor is expected to be paid the top salary for a secretary general — €280,902 per year

Wed, 11 Feb, 2026

Simon Harris promises 'proper' return on investments for savers
Simon Harris promises 'proper' return on investments for savers
Government will deliver a new strategy on investing to help savers get more out of funds they keep in the banks, says TĂĄnaiste

Wed, 11 Feb, 2026

Danny Healy-Rae votes against Government — and brother Michael — on rent reforms
Danny Healy-Rae votes against Government — and brother Michael — on rent reforms
Another Government-supporting independent TD, Gillian Toole, abstained on the vote.

Wed, 11 Feb, 2026

Freddie Scappaticci
Taoiseach names Scappaticci as former British army agent Stakeknife
Operation Kenova examined the activities of Stakeknife, a mole operating within the Provisional IRA's Internal Security Unit in the 1980s, and found he was linked to at least 14 murders and 15 abductions

Wed, 11 Feb, 2026

Businessman giving a key and holding small house in hand.
Rule changes will mean at least €3k rent rises for tens of thousands, Sinn FĂ©in says
For new tenancies from March 1, landlords will be able to reset rents to market rates if the previous rent was below market level

Wed, 11 Feb, 2026

Taoiseach Simon Harris visit to UK
TDs and senators sink Guinness pints as part of €60k Leinster House tab
Current and former TDs and senators knocked back shots of tequila and sambuca, along with €27 measures of premium whiskey

Wed, 11 Feb, 2026

Housing tsar appointed almost a year on from scandal over position
Housing tsar appointed almost a year on from scandal over position
Garret Doocey has been appointed deputy secretary general in the Department of Housing and will oversee the Housing Activation office

Tue, 10 Feb, 2026

Controversy
Media minister refuses to say if he will sign off on pay hike for RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst
It has been suggested RTÉ board could seek to increase the director general’s salary from €250,000 to €300,000, which would have to be signed off by Patrick O'Donovan

Tue, 10 Feb, 2026

Government climbdown on proposals to regulate short-term lets
Government climbdown on proposals to regulate short-term lets
Previously, restrictions were due to apply to any town with a population of 10,000 or more

Tue, 10 Feb, 2026

State age verification for websites an ‘important first step’, says Harris
State age verification for websites an ‘important first step’, says Harris
The Government is preparing a system where age verification for certain websites will be checked against an individual’s Personal Public Service Number (PPSN)

Tue, 10 Feb, 2026

Fine Gael refuses to confirm status of disciplinary process into former senator Martin Conway
Fine Gael refuses to confirm status of disciplinary process into former senator Martin Conway
Mr Conway resigned the party whip last year after failing to inform Fine Gael he had been arrested on Dublin’s O’Connell Street for 'being in an intoxicated state due to consumption of sleeping tablets and alcohol'

Tue, 10 Feb, 2026

Dublin Airport passenger cap to be scrapped 
Dublin Airport passenger cap to be scrapped 
Cabinet will also hear plans for the basic income for the arts, infrastructure guidelines, the living city initiative, and recruitment and retention in the Defence Forces

Tue, 10 Feb, 2026

AI is undermining democracy, Oireachtas committee to hear
AI is undermining democracy, Oireachtas committee to hear
TDs and senators to hear that AI portals' use of online journalism without payment is leaving quality journalism 'under existential threat' 

Mon, 09 Feb, 2026

Government engages US authorities over Irish man detained by ICE
Government engages US authorities over Irish man detained by ICE
Irish authorities are engaging US officials after a Kilkenny man detained by ICE described harsh conditions and fears for his safety

Mon, 09 Feb, 2026

HSE accused of concealing scale of waiting list crisis
HSE accused of concealing scale of waiting list crisis
Cork East TD Liam Quaide challenges Bernard Gloster, saying the HSE has given 'what seemed like deliberately vague responses' on staffing levels

Mon, 09 Feb, 2026

Businessman Calculating Tax By Small And Big House Models
'Mini cabinets' recommended as potential means of oversight on local democracy
While not all of the recommendations will be included in the local democracy taskforce's report to the Government, a source said that they gave 'a flavour of the direction of travel'

Sun, 08 Feb, 2026

Social Democrats deny suspending Limerick City branch after lack of meetings flagged
Social Democrats deny suspending Limerick City branch after lack of meetings flagged
Councillor Elisa O'Donovan said the branch AGM, 'now four months overdue, was postponed abruptly on November 18 by the general secretary citing an internal matter under review'

Sun, 08 Feb, 2026

Budget calculation
Number of childminders who claim State funding to expand under minister's plan 
Childminders will only be allowed to look after a maximum of six children at any one time under the September 2024 regulations, and only two of those can be aged under 15 months

Sun, 08 Feb, 2026

Irish Government formation
Green Party deputy leader vows to tackle discrimination after completing cancer treatment
Hazel Chu was diagnosed with breast cancer last summer and had surgery in September

Sun, 08 Feb, 2026

SOCIAL DEMOCRATS NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Housing figures 'turned out to be a complete fabrication', Holly Cairns tells Social Democrats conference
Ms Cairns's speech follows the party’s recent policy launch for a State construction company and the creation of modular homes factories to 'ramp up supply'

Sun, 08 Feb, 2026

Taoiseach warns against enshrining Irish neutrality in the Constitution
Taoiseach warns against enshrining Irish neutrality in the Constitution
The Taoiseach argues a Constitutional guarantee of neutrality could restrict Ireland’s defence and peacekeeping capabilities, citing the triple lock

Sat, 07 Feb, 2026

Government Trade Forum
Harris backs Taoiseach’s Trump visit, as engagement ‘more important than ever’
Simon Harris has expressed his support for the Taoiseach’s meeting with US president Donald Trump, saying “it’s more important than ever” to engage.

Sat, 07 Feb, 2026

MicheĂĄl Martin 18/1/2026
MicheĂĄl Martin stops short of backing under-16 social media ban
The Taoiseach said Ireland would monitor Australia’s under-16 ban as pressure grows following EU findings against TikTok

Sat, 07 Feb, 2026

Taoiseach visit to the US
Taoiseach formally invited to White House on St Patrick's Day
MicheĂĄl Martin said Donald Trump's letter 'expresses that this visit would be an opportunity to celebrate the warm and historic friendship between the US and Ireland'

Fri, 06 Feb, 2026

Cabinet briefing - Dublin
'Difficult challenge' to bar scrambler bikes from public roads, says justice minister
Scramblers remain legal to own in Ireland, and restricting their importation would require engagement with the European Commission

Fri, 06 Feb, 2026

Galway West and Dublin Central by-elections likely to take place in May
Galway West and Dublin Central by-elections likely to take place in May
One was elected Ireland's President, the other became the World Bank's MD. Voters will now choose who will take the DĂĄil seats vacated by Catherine Connolly and Paschal Donohoe

Fri, 06 Feb, 2026

FIANNA FAIL ARD FHEIS
'Polish MEP snorted at me like a pig': Cynthia NĂ­ MhurchĂș makes complaint against Jacek Ozdoba
Ireland South MEP also criticised committee chair saying the noises and Bogdan Rzonca's response risked 'giving the impression of bias and misogynistic behaviour towards female MEPs'

Thu, 05 Feb, 2026

Orange warnings in place as DĂĄil descends into shouting match over flood defences
Orange warnings in place as DĂĄil descends into shouting match over flood defences
Sinn Féin deputy leader Pearse Doherty and Tånaiste Simon Harris chastised by Leas-Cheann Comhairle John McGuinness for repeated clashes during Leaders' Questions

Thu, 05 Feb, 2026

File Photo Minister for Health Leo Varadkar will launch the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill which sets out to reduce the damage tha
Government has no plans to raise minimum unit price for alcohol
Measure was first introduced in 2022 in a bid to reduce serious illness and death from alcohol consumption

Thu, 05 Feb, 2026

Lawyer holding document and speaking to jury in courtroom
Counselling records only admissible in court where risk of unfair trial exists
Cabinet approves legislation limiting use of counselling notes in trials, alongside historical justice measures and new bail provisions

Thu, 05 Feb, 2026

Social Media Apps - BeReal and Others
Government plans PPS-based age checks for online platforms to protect children
Ireland plans to introduce PPS-based age verification for social media platforms this year to protect children online

Thu, 05 Feb, 2026

Martin Heydon defends Bord Bia chairman from Sinn FĂ©in's motion to dismiss
Martin Heydon defends Bord Bia chairman from Sinn FĂ©in's motion to dismiss
Agriculture minister Martin Heydon said that Sinn FĂ©in had not sought a briefing from Bord Bia board members in advance of calling for Larry Murrin's removal

Wed, 04 Feb, 2026

Desperate Woman
Minister seeking legal advice on statutory paid leave for pregnancy loss
'There is now a shared understanding across Government that pregnancy loss requires a specific, compassionate response,' a cross-party group discussing the legislation has said

Wed, 04 Feb, 2026

Homeschooling: Hands of an Unrecognizable Child Drawing While Sitting on her Mother's Lap, Lockdown Activities Concept (Overhead
Childminders working from home should not pay commercial rates, says Foley
Children’s Minister Norma Foley says childminders operating from their own homes should not face commercial rates charges

Wed, 04 Feb, 2026

Irish housing
Paul Murphy and MicheĂĄl Martin clash over handling of X AI nudification issue
Paul Murphy accused the Government of failing to act on AI-generated abuse, claims strongly rejected by the Taoiseach

Wed, 04 Feb, 2026

Government to examine licensing and sale of scrambler bikes amid crackdown
Government to examine licensing and sale of scrambler bikes amid crackdown
Ministers say a new ban on scramblers in public spaces will remove ambiguity for gardaĂ­ and strengthen enforcement

Wed, 04 Feb, 2026

Wasting renewable energy 'unnecessary and unforgivable' when households live in energy poverty
Wasting renewable energy 'unnecessary and unforgivable' when households live in energy poverty
Dáil committee told more than €1.4m of clean renewable wind energy was being 'dispatched down, or wasted, every single day' and could be redirected to homes in fuel poverty

Wed, 04 Feb, 2026

Grace Lynch funeral
Cabinet plans to ban scrambler bikes from Irish roads after the death of Grace Lynch 
The move comes in the aftermath of the death of 16-year-old Dublin teenager Grace Lynch after being hit by a scrambler last month

Wed, 04 Feb, 2026

FRANCE-ELON-MUSK-LAUNCH-GROK-ARTIFICIAL-INTELLIGENCE-NEW-VERSION
X spurns TDs and senators as Paris office is raided for allegedly facilitating child abuse images 
Google, Meta, and TikTok will be at Oireachtas media committee but — even amid the Grok 'nudification' scandal — Elon Musk's social media company is refusing to show up

Wed, 04 Feb, 2026

New homes under construction.
More judges needed to help cut red tape in planning cases, minister told 
DĂĄil housing committee said in order to ensure judicial reviews were heard promptly and without delay, additional judges should be appointed, with other staffing needs met as required

Wed, 04 Feb, 2026

X's AI chatbot Grok
X refuses to appear before Oireachtas media committee amid Grok controversy
The committee will meet on Wednesday with representatives from Meta, Google, and TikTok to discuss online regulations

Tue, 03 Feb, 2026

Taoiseach Micheal Martin visit to Wexford
Taoiseach concedes housing shortfall but insists 50,000 homes a year is achievable
The Taoiseach said stronger investment conditions could drive housing supply higher, while confirming a St Patrick’s Day White House visit

Tue, 03 Feb, 2026

Taoiseach Micheal Martin visit to Wexford
'You’re a Cork man, aren’t you? You’re forever getting flooded': Taoiseach called on to do more
MicheĂĄl Martin was in Enniscorthy on Monday to see the damage caused by last week's flooding

Mon, 02 Feb, 2026

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