Across:
8 Middle Eastern (middle ‘EasTern’ = T-) Republic (Republic of Ireland = -ROI-) gets kick-start (‘Kick’ start = -K-) from a (-A) (TROIKA) group of financiers (TROIKA)
9 It finishes 15 across (it finishes ‘medical examiner’ = EXAMINER) in paper (newspaper = EXAMINER),
10 Poses (SITS) with leaders somewhere in the snow (leaders ‘Somewhere In The Snow’ = SITS),
11 Where you’d expect to find Garibaldi (BISCUIT TIN) with most of those in 2 down? (most of ‘tins’ = TIN) Behind (= position indicator) Ritz! (Ritz BISCUIT) (BISCUIT TIN),
12 Relieved (HELPED) to do one’s bit (HELP-) working on the paper (-ED) (HELPED),
14 Presumably, you’d expect to get this leaving The Foggy Dew? (ALL CLEAR) Good news after you’ve been sick! (ALL CLEAR),
15 Analyst (EXAMINER) behind (= position indicator) test taken by patient type (MEDICAL) (MEDICAL EXAMINER) who questions why many are late in the US? (US MEDICAL EXAMINER / coroner),
18 Most of (s) the amphetamines (uppers) (‘uppers’ without ‘s’ = UPPER-) chemically mixed (-CUT) (UPPERCUT) will floor one of those in Ring (UPPERCUT punch in boxing ring),
20 Made a case for (ARGUED) busy (= anagram indicator) guard (guard = ARGU-D) handling ecstasy (-E-) (ARGUED),
22 Presumably still has the passion (NO LOVE LOST) for bad blood (NO LOVE LOST),
24 Concealed by the Irish (concealed by ‘tHE IRish’ = HEIR) successor (HEIR),
25 Green (green) bananas (= anagram indicator) (green = GENER-) and most (w) of the slaw (slaw) (most of the ‘slaw’ = sla) served up (= reverse indicator) (sla = -ALS) (GENERALS) for those in command of the mess? (GENERALS),
26 Lad emerges from lavenders (‘lad’ emerges from ‘lavenders’ = veners = NERVES) with lots of butterflies (NERVES).
Down:
1 Land (ARRIVE) leads to a (A-) meandering (= anagram indicator) river (river = -RRIVE) (ARRIVE),
2 Employment insurance cover (‘retiremenT INSurance’ covers = TINS) what’s produced in biscuit factory traditionally for Christmas? (TINS of biscuits),
3 State (CAMBODIA) spies (CIA = C-IA) holding a (-A-) Frenchman (-M-) bringing up (= reverse indicator) date of birth (DOB = -BOD-) (CAMBODIA),
4 Plots (BEDS) for Belgium (BE-) detective (-DS) (BEDS),
5 Guatemalan takes off gate (‘Guatemalan’ takes off ‘gate’ = umalan = MANUAL) with a set of instructions (MANUAL),
6 Creating the spirit (DISTILLING) for top defender’s (top ‘Defenders’ = D-) first (1st = -IST-) game (willing) without a leader (w) (‘willing’ without ‘w’ = -ILLING) (DISTILLING),
7 Chew the cud (MEDITATE) as friend (mate = M-ATE) consumes mixed (= anagram indicator) diet (diet = -EDIT-) (MEDITATE),
13 The reward for delivering 18 across that’s a knockout in Ring (reward for delivering ‘uppercut’ = PRIZE MONEY) for Kitty (PRIZE MONEY),
14 Grow old (AGE-) on good books (New Testament = -NT) (AGENT), representative of the writer’s output (AGENT),
16 Has a job (EMPLOYEE) to use (EMPLOY-) a number of drugs (E+E = -EE) (EMPLOYEE),
17 American (A-) working in a diner (-WAITING) (AWAITING) is expecting (AWAITING),
19 Wild (= anagram indicator) nectar (nectar = CRETAN) from a foreign island (CRETAN),
21 Writers (ed + ed = ED-ED) admit it (-IT-) (EDITED) is suitable for publication (EDITED),
23 Flipper is off life-support? (‘flipper’ is off ‘life-support’ = suot = OUST) Show him the door! (OUST),
24 Raphael dismisses ale (‘Raphael’ dismisses ‘ale’ = raph = HARP) – a local beverage (HARP).