politics

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

Budget 2027: €5k boost to new home grant — but first-time buyer stamp duty won't be scrapped
Budget 2027: €5k boost to new home grant — but first-time buyer stamp duty won't be scrapped
People buying second-hand properties will miss out after a proposal to scrap stamp duty was dumped at the last hour

Tue, 06 Oct, 2026

Fianna Fail think in - Tullamore
Budget 2027: €108m rise in mental health funding to include six more 'solace cafes'
Mental health budget agreed by Mary Butler is rising 7% to €1.657bn, including the rollout of more solace cafes after the success of such initiatives in Galway and Limerick

Mon, 05 Oct, 2026

Rural pubs set for €15m budget package
Rural pubs set for €15m budget package
It follows a proposal from the Vintners Federation of Ireland

Mon, 05 Oct, 2026

Protest against HSE proposal to shut Navan A&E
Aontú eyes fuel price cap and sanctions for civil servants in alternative budget plan
Peadar Tóibín suggested senior civil servants could face penalties 'up to and including them losing their jobs' where significant waste occurs on projects

Mon, 05 Oct, 2026

House sales
Budget 2027: First-time buyer stamp duty will not be abolished
It comes amid disagreements between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael regarding the changes to stamp duty, which would alleviate pressure on first-time buyers.

Mon, 05 Oct, 2026

Solicitors industrial action
Government considering 'more generous scheme' for people close to qualifying for citizenship
The Government is examining ways to ease the impact of proposed citizenship reforms on people who were expecting to qualify under the current five-year residency rule

Mon, 05 Oct, 2026

National Economic Dialogue
Budget 2027: College fees to be cut by €1,500 for parents with two children in college
Higher education minister James Lawless secured fee discounts where families have multiple students in third-level education.

Mon, 05 Oct, 2026

Calculation Euro
Social welfare, tax changes, and childcare costs: Everything we know about the budget so far 
People set to benefit from tax band changes, cuts to childcare costs, and reduced college fees, writes Political Correspondent Louise Burne

Mon, 05 Oct, 2026

IRISH US
Communications 'breakdown' may have contributed to 418% hike in refusals of Palestinian study visas
Taoiseach's claim had been disputed by lawyers representing applicants

Mon, 05 Oct, 2026

Money in old hands
Nearly €1bn in social welfare overpayments not recovered by the State
€354m was lost because of unrecovered overpayments between 2016 and 2025 — in addition to an outstanding debt balance of €597.4m at the end of 2015

Mon, 05 Oct, 2026

Budget 2027: Proposed childcare package could save some parents €1,000 a year
Budget 2027: Proposed childcare package could save some parents €1,000 a year
The Irish Examiner understands that while negotiations are still ongoing, 'good progress was made' on childcare costs.

Sun, 04 Oct, 2026

Bereaved senator Gerard Craughwell calls for reform of power of attorney process
Bereaved senator Gerard Craughwell calls for reform of power of attorney process
Mr Craughwell, whose wife Helen died in August, said 'it is extremely complex and quite expensive to complete an enduring power of attorney'

Sun, 04 Oct, 2026

Budget 2027: What can renters and first-time buyers expect? 
Budget 2027: What can renters and first-time buyers expect? 
What measures could be on the way for renters and people looking to buy a house?

Sun, 04 Oct, 2026

National Ploughing Championships 2026
Budget 2027: Wiggle room for tax band increases but USC going nowhere 
If the tax band increases from €44,000 to €46,000, it would put €400 back in people’s pockets

Sun, 04 Oct, 2026

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