Paschal Donohoe top of the class in Cabinet

As Taoiseach Leo Varadkar eases into his first Christmas as leader, he must be counting his lucky stars that we were spared an unnecessary election, writes Political Editor Daniel McConnell.

The time has come once again to examine the performance of the ministers in Government.

From the difficulties of Brexit to the ever-increasing numbers of homeless persons, the tasks facing the Government are many and complex — 2017 has been a challenging year.