politics

Department leaked Garda whistleblower's identity two weeks after data breach with another
Department leaked Garda whistleblower's identity two weeks after data breach with another
Aontú has threatened to table a motion of no confidence in Ms McEntee if she does not answer questions in the Dáil about the issue

Wed, 14 Oct, 2026

Public service worker strike
Jack Chambers: Pay can be starting point in union negotiations
On RTÉ's 'Prime Time', the public expenditure minister said pay can 'absolutely' be discussed first with trade unions

Tue, 13 Oct, 2026

A pensioner adjusting the temperature control on his combi boiler. Redcar, UK. 26/5/2021. Photograph: Stuart Boulton.
From a cold shower to a cold bed: TD cites couple with no heating as they live on €8 a day
Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty told the Dáil he spoke to a couple who ran out of heating oil because they had 'just €8 a day to live on'

Tue, 13 Oct, 2026

National Ambulance Service industrial action
Taoiseach makes last-minute plea to public sector unions to 'very simply, come in and talk'
Government accused of treating public sector workers with 'contempt' as 300,000 people prepare to take industrial action

Tue, 13 Oct, 2026

Greatest regulators of election posters are Tidy Towns committees, Oireachtas told
Greatest regulators of election posters are Tidy Towns committees, Oireachtas told
'If you confine posters to a certain area, towns perhaps, then the towns might feel victimised'

Tue, 13 Oct, 2026

Brexit
Phil Hogan to spend 'significant' sum of own money in bid for top UN role
'I haven't done a tot in relation to the cost, but all I will say is that it's going to be a significant six-figure sum'

Tue, 13 Oct, 2026

Cabinet meeting
Minister Patrick O’Donovan taken to hospital after becoming unwell at EU event in Limerick
The Fine Gael TD was hosting an informal EU meeting at the University of Limerick when he required medical assessment and treatment

Tue, 13 Oct, 2026

Numbers applying for Irish citizenship soars by 236% ahead of 'massively unfair' rules change
Numbers applying for Irish citizenship soars by 236% ahead of 'massively unfair' rules change
Some 8,765 applications from aspiring Irish citizens were received last month, up from 2,611 in August

Tue, 13 Oct, 2026

Business people working
Government plans to back 1,000 new start-ups with investments up to €100,000 
A separate AI Accelerator will match global leaders such as Google, AWS, Anthropic, and OpenAIwith promising Irish AI firms

Mon, 12 Oct, 2026

Russia Ukraine War Ireland
Trump's call to replace Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Ukrainian president 'concerning', McEntee says
The US president suggested over the weekend that Mr Zelensky had not done enough to end his country’s war with Russia

Mon, 12 Oct, 2026

Taoiseach urged to intervene on study visas for Gazan students
Taoiseach urged to intervene on study visas for Gazan students
'Mohammed' has sculpted Micheál Martin’s name in the sand in Gaza in gratitude for his words on Gaza so far

Mon, 12 Oct, 2026

Nurses rally in Dublin
A nationwide public sector strike begins on Wednesday — here's what you need to know
Unions estimate that there will be between 300,000 and 400,000 public servants on strike on Wednesday as part of a row with the government over pay negotiations amid the cost-of-living crisis

Mon, 12 Oct, 2026

Helen McEntee Helen McEntee comments
Aontú threatens no-confidence motion in Helen McEntee over Garda whistleblower scandal
Mayo TD Paul Lawless wrote to the Taoiseach on Sunday requesting time be set aside in the Dáil next week for Helen McEntee to answer questions on the most recent Garda whistleblower scandal.

Mon, 12 Oct, 2026

Reading is Fun!
Move to end shorter days for junior primary classes paused after 'push back'
Officials in the Department of Education contacted the Department of Children asking for "stats or costings" that would bolster the argument in favour of "restricting" the reduced day for junior infant classes.

Mon, 12 Oct, 2026

Ombudsman slams 'deliberate policy' to prohibit his office from representing prisoners
Ombudsman slams 'deliberate policy' to prohibit his office from representing prisoners
"I believe the othering of these people is not just morally wrong and unjustified, but dangerous," said Ombudsman Ger Deering on the exclusion of prisoners from his remit.

Mon, 12 Oct, 2026

Cabinet meeting
Public sector strike can be avoided, says minister
"The average wage of a public sector worker is far higher than that of a private sector worker,” said higher education minister James Lawless.

Sun, 11 Oct, 2026

Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity
'Donald Trump approach to policy': Government criticised as living wage timeline 'annulled'
In a statement on Budget Day, the Department of Enterprise said the removal of the 2029 living wage timeline would help provide “certainty for employers”.

Sun, 11 Oct, 2026

FILE PHOTO Pressure is growing for TDs to return to Leinster House for sittings of the Dail END
Dáil cancels Wednesday sitting amid expected public sector picket at Leinster House
The decision follows unions’ refusal to exempt Oireachtas staff from next week’s industrial action, after Micheál Martin urged a derogation

Sat, 10 Oct, 2026

Cairde Fail president's dinner
Leinster House strike row: Taoiseach faces union backlash over call for staff derogation
Unions have condemned the Taoiseach’s intervention, while Fianna Fáil TDs question whether they could cross a picket line next Wednesday

Sat, 10 Oct, 2026

Belgium Europe Microsoft
Dublin AI summit ‘will not be affected by industrial action’
The International AI Summit in Dublin's RDS will bring together EU heads of state and global business leaders 

Fri, 09 Oct, 2026

Cairde Fail president's dinner
Taoiseach says there should be a derogation for Dáil as Leinster House picket looms
Unions have not extended an existing work-to-rule arrangement to next Wednesday’s strike, raising uncertainty over whether the Dáil can sit

Fri, 09 Oct, 2026

Irish Budget 2027
State spend on refugee and asylum accommodation to decline by €682m next year
Increased funding for Garda recruitment and measures to tackle domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence have also been promised by justice minister Jim O'Callaghan.

Thu, 08 Oct, 2026

Drumcree Orange Order parade
McDonald and Bacik among opposition leaders urging Andy Burnham to intervene in Drumcree
In a bid to end the Garvaghy Road stand-off in Portadown, a joint letter to British prime minister Andy Burnham from Irish opposition leaders states that his government must intervene to end the "profound distress and anxiety" the march has caused.

Thu, 08 Oct, 2026

RTE pay revelations
Bakhurst says he has confidence in minister but does not know if €20m RTÉ funding will be restored
Kevin Bakhurst described talks with Patrick O’Donovan as open and constructive after the Government reduced RTÉ’s expected 2027 funding

Thu, 08 Oct, 2026

Row over Dáil sitting as TDs say they won't attend in support of public sector strike 
Row over Dáil sitting as TDs say they won't attend in support of public sector strike 
Opposition parties say they will not attend Leinster House as unions prepare for a national day of action next Wednesday

Thu, 08 Oct, 2026

Beautiful modern hotel room
Gardaí 'learn lessons' from their overbooking of hotel rooms for 2024 Europa League final in Dublin
A recent report also found that more than 2,700 speeding offences had been cancelled on foot of technical issues with the relevant roadside cameras

Thu, 08 Oct, 2026

RTE funding
€20m funding cut leaves RTÉ shocked and furious 
Media minister Patrick O'Donovan said there was 'very little scope' in his overall funding package

Wed, 07 Oct, 2026

No funding to host sporting events beyond Ryder Cup and Euro 2028
No funding to host sporting events beyond Ryder Cup and Euro 2028
Some €22m has been set aside within Budget 2027 for both events

Wed, 07 Oct, 2026

EU defence ministers meeting
Minister admits end of Lebanon peacekeeping missions will likely lead to Defence Forces exodus
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) mission will finish by the end of the year following the failure of the United Nations Security Council to renew its mandate

Wed, 07 Oct, 2026

Integration of Gaelic games
GAA's delayed integration with ladies associations 'not a gender issue', says Jarlath Burns
The GAA president said he believes Ms McAleese stepped down because the 2027 deadline for integration was going to be missed

Wed, 07 Oct, 2026

RTE pay revelations
RTÉ rejects minister’s claim reforms have been slow as €20m funding cut confirmed
Kevin Bakhurst said RTÉ had made commitments based on its multi-annual agreement and warned the funding reduction would affect its strategy

Wed, 07 Oct, 2026

State pension will rise to €350 a week by 2030, Taoiseach promises
State pension will rise to €350 a week by 2030, Taoiseach promises
Micheál Martin defended the Coalition’s €10 increase in the State pension in Tuesday’s budget, as the opposition accused him of breaking a promise to raise it by €12 each year

Wed, 07 Oct, 2026

Rotunda Hospital row
HSE regions 'cannot do everything every year'
Health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill was speaking at a budget briefing on Wednesday morning

Wed, 07 Oct, 2026

Irish Budget 2027
Budget 2027: €5,000 Help to Buy increase will have ‘negligible’ impact on house prices, says Harris
Simon Harris also defended retaining USC and highlighted tax cuts when questioned about support for single people and pensioners

Wed, 07 Oct, 2026

Government defends budget spending despite strong criticism from fiscal watchdog 
Government defends budget spending despite strong criticism from fiscal watchdog 
The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council warned that rising deficits and reliance on corporation tax leave the public finances exposed

Wed, 07 Oct, 2026

€8.5bn Budget 2027 package ‘totally devoid of ambition’
€8.5bn Budget 2027 package ‘totally devoid of ambition’
A sprinkling of financial supports across childcare, income tax, and disabilities will leave no one satisfied, writes Elaine Loughlin

Wed, 07 Oct, 2026

Budget 2027: Here are the changes to pensions and other welfare payments and when they kick in
Budget 2027: Here are the changes to pensions and other welfare payments and when they kick in
Everything you need to know about pensions and other social welfare payments announced in Budget 2027 

Wed, 07 Oct, 2026

Child playing with colorful toys at the learning center or in kindergarten
Budget 2027: Cap on childcare fees will not apply to facilities outside of Core Funding model
At her post-budget press conference, children's minister Norma Foley confirmed that some parents will pay more.

Tue, 06 Oct, 2026

Irish Budget 2027
Personal investment accounts are 'not a get-rich-quick scheme', says Simon Harris
He also said that while this is phase one of the scheme, phase two could include accounts for children

Tue, 06 Oct, 2026

Budget 2027: Dara Calleary vows to build on new cost-of-disability payment 
Budget 2027: Dara Calleary vows to build on new cost-of-disability payment 
Social protection minister said the new €500 payment 'needs to be co-designed... with the input of disabled people themselves, and that's what we're going to do'

Tue, 06 Oct, 2026

As it happened: Budget 2027 sees tax changes, a social welfare boost, and cigarettes price hike
As it happened: Budget 2027 sees tax changes, a social welfare boost, and cigarettes price hike
Follow all the latest Budget 2027 announcements, political reaction and analysis as the Government unveils its spending plans in the Dáil

Tue, 06 Oct, 2026

Space and Ireland’s Secret Service: The things you might have missed from Budget 2027
Space and Ireland’s Secret Service: The things you might have missed from Budget 2027
But while the main parts of the budget have been spoken and written about at length, these may have been missed

Tue, 06 Oct, 2026

Budget 2027: Core funding for childcare can be suspended 'at any time', says Department of Children 
Budget 2027: Core funding for childcare can be suspended 'at any time', says Department of Children 
The new expenditure controls have been confirmed across all Government departments, following overspends in 2026 in the Department of Education

Tue, 06 Oct, 2026

Budget 2027: The main takeaways
Budget 2027: The main takeaways
Tax, housing, childcare, health, welfare and transport all feature in the Government's latest budget package. Here's a quick guide to the main announcements

Tue, 06 Oct, 2026

Budget 2027: Funding for 1,000 additional gardaí and 200 prison officers
Budget 2027: Funding for 1,000 additional gardaí and 200 prison officers
Budget 2027 also includes funding for youth justice, domestic violence initiatives, courts modernisation and alternatives to prison

Tue, 06 Oct, 2026

Budget 2027: Social welfare rates to rise by €10 a week as disability supports increase
Budget 2027: Social welfare rates to rise by €10 a week as disability supports increase
The measures include increases to welfare rates, Fuel Allowance and Living Alone Allowance, alongside targeted child poverty supports

Tue, 06 Oct, 2026

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