Emergency law set to be approved to transfer asylum applicants back to UKCabinet poised to back plan amid controversy over claim more than 80 per cent of people applying for asylum in Ireland are coming across the BorderTue Apr 30 2024 - 05:00
British prime minister Rishi Sunak ‘not interested’ in deal with Ireland to return asylum seekers to UKHelen McEntee pulls out of British-Irish conference after meeting with UK minister was postponedMon Apr 29 2024 - 14:51
Voters largely unmoved by resignation of Varadkar and elevation of HarrisMajority make negative comments about changeover in Taoiseach’s office, with just 35% positiveMon Apr 29 2024 - 06:00
Housing is the top issue for voters, especially those aged 25-34Almost nine out of 10 voters (88 per cent) who mention housing have a negative view of the Government’s efforts.Mon Apr 29 2024 - 06:00
Dream of a left-wing government slipping away and not just because of Sinn Féin slumpToo many on the left are content to whine from the sidelines, wary of the responsibility of power and unwilling to make the compromises that forming a Government requireSat Apr 27 2024 - 06:45
First shots fired in the Government’s budget battlesWith spending promises already flooding in, expect another bazooka budget this year as the Coalition gears up for a general electionSat Apr 27 2024 - 06:00
Visa-free travel from South Africa may end under immigration planMove comes less than three years after requirement for visas for travel from South Africa was abolishedThu Apr 25 2024 - 06:00
Harris’s empathetic apology to Stardust families shows he has a quality that is key in modern politicsThis was not a test of his decision-making – it was a test of his ability to perform as TaoiseachTue Apr 23 2024 - 21:11
Trump victory ‘can’t happen, won’t happen’, Nancy Pelosi tells journalists during Dublin visitFormer speaker of US House of Representatives said she was ‘very excited’ about ‘long overdue’ restoration of Northern Ireland executiveMon Apr 22 2024 - 18:55
Analysis: Eamon Ryan says Green Party’s job is to ‘hold the centre ground’ but space is getting tighterParty’s next election strategy boils down to assumption of more people being concerned about climate change that at the last oneSun Apr 21 2024 - 15:50
Simon Harris brings one big advantage to the job of Taoiseach – and one big disadvantageAlready there are four key signs about where his priorities will lie - and they don’t include scrapping with the OppositionSat Apr 20 2024 - 06:30
Stardust verdicts: Prospect of fresh Garda investigation significantly increasesAny new inquiry after inquest verdicts of unlawful killings would be largest multiple homicide investigation of modern eraFri Apr 19 2024 - 05:05
Wars loom large over EU summit as Simon Harris makes Brussels debut as TaoiseachGaza, Iran, Israel and Ukraine clear focus of European agenda along with reform of capital markets.Thu Apr 18 2024 - 20:00
Ireland seeking to abandon ‘triple lock’ restriction on troop deployment ‘Absurd that Russia would effectively have veto’ on Irish peacekeeping deployments, Taoiseach saysThu Apr 18 2024 - 09:54
Immigration reforms: Higher level of passenger document checks at gates could see airlines avoid finesNumber of people claiming international protection in first 12 weeks of 2024 was 75% ahead of same period last year, committee to hearThu Apr 18 2024 - 05:00
Simon Harris to make his debut at European Council summitEuropean Council meeting will be the Taoiseach’s chance to make a favourable first impression and build relationships with other EU leadersWed Apr 17 2024 - 06:00
Suspension of development levies set to be extended to boost housebuildingTemporary waiver of contributions due to lapse this monthMon Apr 15 2024 - 05:55
Fianna Fáil pledges welfare and pension increases in next budgetTánaiste also promises to ban children using smartphones during school hoursSun Apr 14 2024 - 20:39
Fianna Fáil rolls dice in the budget flyer game at weekend ardfheisLeader and Minister for Finance trail raft of fiscal initiatives months in advance of what is likely to be a crucial general election budgetSun Apr 14 2024 - 18:59
Harris scraps difficult proposals, aiming instead for focused approach to childcare, farms and businessReferendum on patents, vote on Dublin mayor and disabilities green paper among plans to be droppedSat Apr 13 2024 - 06:00
Joe Brolly and Sinn Féin are sick of experts. Have any of them heard of Brexit?The united Ireland conversation involves listening to people who don’t agree with you and whose advice you don’t want to hearSat Apr 13 2024 - 06:00
‘There are significant concerns’: Plans to change disability welfare benefits scrappedThe controversial green paper contained proposals to introduce three different levels of disability benefitsFri Apr 12 2024 - 12:37
Delay ‘not credible any longer’: Recognition of state of Palestine expected in coming weeksIreland and some EU states set to announce formal recognition once peace initiative with Israel – expected within weeks – is under wayWed Apr 10 2024 - 06:00
Inexperience no barrier to potential success for Simon Harris Taoiseach may be very young but he has demonstrated he is highly skilled at politics and his Cabinet choices indicate a concern for geography and the next electionTue Apr 09 2024 - 20:05
Ireland will soon formally recognise state of Palestine, Tánaiste tells DáilIreland and some other EU states to announce formal recognition of Palestine once peace initiative is underwayTue Apr 09 2024 - 18:15
Varadkar resigns as Taoiseach with ‘no regrets’ as Harris loyalists eye promotionNew Cabinet is expected be announced to the Dáil at about 5pm on TuesdayTue Apr 09 2024 - 06:00
Varadkar out, Harris in: what will happen today?By early Tuesday evening, the Fine Gael leader will have likely become taoiseach and formed his new cabinetMon Apr 08 2024 - 18:33
Simon Harris’s vague commitments leave hardly a single area of Government untroubledFine Gael leader provides plenty of platitudes but little information about what he will do as taoiseach in ardfheis speechSat Apr 06 2024 - 19:59
Simon Harris pledges to fix housing ‘once and for all’ in first ardfheis speech as Fine Gael leader‘I’m gonna hit the ground running’: Harris promises a ‘new energy’ will succeed outgoing Taoiseach Leo VaradkarSat Apr 06 2024 - 18:30
Tough, lucky and clever (but not too clever): what makes a good taoiseach?It’s like no other job in the country. If you think anyone can do it, you have no idea what’s involvedSun Mar 31 2024 - 07:00
New measures to support struggling businesses could come before Budget - McGrathSimon Harris under pressure from party to emphasise supports for enterprise in coming monthsTue Mar 26 2024 - 10:50
Simon Harris rules out early election after taking over as Fine Gael leader‘I would like to see this Government going full term,’ says presumptive taoiseach, ‘that is my intention’Mon Mar 25 2024 - 06:00
Snapshot survey: Is the Government making the country go in the right or wrong direction?Recent referendums have been the main focus of the public’s attention this last month as housing and immigration slip into second and third placeMon Mar 25 2024 - 05:00
Fine Gael is tired from 13 years in Government and badly in need of a shot in the armSimon Harris promises to expend ‘blood, sweat and tears’ in his efforts to rejuvenate Fine GaelSun Mar 24 2024 - 20:38
Maria Walsh and former jockey Nina Carberry nominated to run for Fine Gael in European electionsPair to run in Midlands-North West constituency as Welsh seeks second term in European ParliamentSun Mar 24 2024 - 18:42
Housing crisis is civil rights issue of this generation, Labour leader Ivana Bacik tells party conferenceBacik says Labour would transform Land Development Agency into State construction company to build homesSat Mar 23 2024 - 18:30
In the goldfish bowl of the Taoiseach’s office, it was clear Varadkar’s focus had driftedWe were all waiting, says one Government insider, like waiting for a kettle to boil, when it wasn’t plugged inSat Mar 23 2024 - 06:30
New Fine Gael ministers to be asked to prioritise small number of issues after Cabinet reshuffleFocus to shift to Coalition’s remaining time in office and preparations for next election when Dáil reconvenes after Easter with Harris as next taoiseachSat Mar 23 2024 - 06:00
Leo Varadkar says there is no ‘scandal’ that prompted decision to quit as TaoiseachOutgoing Taoiseach says he is ‘not interested in any form of ministerial office’Fri Mar 22 2024 - 13:53
No regrets as Varadkar limbers up for the last dance in Brussels Suddenly, the Taoiseach seems tired of it all. Tired of Brussels, evenThu Mar 21 2024 - 20:15
Varadkar says ‘no one thing’ triggered resignation and that it is ‘time for somebody new’Taoiseach tells reporters at summit of EU leaders in Brussels he has been doing the job long enoughThu Mar 21 2024 - 15:12
Martin and Ryan to insist Varadkar’s successor commits to Coalition going full term as Opposition seeks electionOpposition parties demand early general election as Taoiseach shocks country by announcing he would resign as Fine Gael leader immediately and step down as the head of Government in early AprilThu Mar 21 2024 - 06:41
Coveney rules out succeeding Varadkar after Taoiseach stands down as Fine Gael leader - as it happenedVaradkar on his resignation: 'In the absence of anyone trying to stab me in the back, I have decided to fall on my own sword'Wed Mar 20 2024 - 20:40
Leo Varadkar’s bombshell resignation turns the political world upside downAnticipated bounceback once Varadkar regained Taoiseach’s office in 2022 has not materialised for a directionless Fine GaelWed Mar 20 2024 - 16:38
Exodus of incumbents damages Fine Gael moraleCannon joins list of almost a third of 35 TDs who won seats for Fine Gael in the 2020 election that are unlikely to seek re-electionTue Mar 19 2024 - 17:00
Fine Gael TD Ciarán Cannon to quit: ‘There’s a toxicity in politics that was barely palpable 20 years ago’Galway East representative is the 10th Fine Gael TD to announce intention to quit politics at the next electionTue Mar 19 2024 - 10:02
Two-thirds of political and media advisers recruited by Government are paid more than €100,000The two most senior advisers earn between €185,000 and €195,000 a year, though both gift part of their salaries back to the StateSun Mar 17 2024 - 07:00
‘Political advisers are like poisoners: either famous or good at their job’A short history of political advisers in Ireland, from the early 1990s to todaySat Mar 16 2024 - 06:00
The people behind the power: Who are Ireland’s political advisers and backroom experts?A large staff network oversees everything: communication, policy and smooth Coalition relationsSat Mar 16 2024 - 06:00
Is Ireland compassionately centre right or cautiously centre left? A lot hangs on the answerRelations across the cultural chasm in the Coalition have been deteriorating for months, with Fine Gael and Fianna Fail ministers increasingly given to mutterings about their Green colleaguesSat Mar 16 2024 - 06:00
