‘Emphatic’ rejection super-junior ministers challenges surprises constitutional lawyers
Ruling that cabinet confidentiality applies to anyone privy to its meetings described as ‘quite significant’
Government
Simon Harris stakes reputation on new spending strictures
Tánaiste and Minister for Finance promises fresh era of financial planning
Central Bank questions Government housing target of 300,000 new homes
Regulator forecasts State will deliver only 155,000 new homes out to 2028 even if energy, waste and water bottlenecks addressed
Tighter budgets in prospect under planned 6% cap on spending hikes
The Medium Term Fiscal and Structural Plan will promise to cut the growth in day-to-day spending of recent years
Could the decision to spend most of next year’s corporation tax come back to bite the Government?
Inside Business podcast with Ciarán Hancock
Engineers seek restoration of public transport spending priority
Heavy reliance on private cars for travel cannot continue, Engineers Ireland warns
Miriam Lord’s week: Labour still first among equals as SocDems are outvoted
Government sides with Labour in row over Leaders’ Questions pecking order
€1.7bn Defence Forces plan announced amid ‘changing’ and ‘emerging’ threats
Anti-drone technology will be in place by next summer that will ‘identify and neutralise’ drones that ‘may be a threat’
TV licence sales set to slump to record low this year
Almost 20,000 fewer licences purchased in year to end of November compared with same period in 2024
Research programme to assess risk of sabotage and spying on Irish cables
Two-year programme a response to fears that Ireland’s maritime area will be subject to Russian sabotage
Funding announced for almost 1,500 new apprenticeship places in critical skill areas
Minister Lawless highlights €20.5m funding to tackle skills shortages
National Broadband Plan on track for completion next year
Almost 157,000 homes, farms and businesses are now connected to high-speed fibre broadband
M50 congestion can only be fixed through Government policy change, says TII
Sean O’Neill says traffic on the motorway have supassed Celtic Tiger numbers
Major Garda security operation, road closures in place for Zelenskiy visit to Dublin
Additional €100m in ‘non-lethal’ military support set to be announced during Ukrainian president’s first official trip to Ireland
Plan to raise cost of judicial reviews could lead to people representing themselves in court
Law professor warns move could leave courts even more congested
How can communities benefit from €1bn fund transfer from renewable energy companies?
Community benefit funds are a useful way to enhance public engagement with energy and sustainability and address delays in developing infrastructure
Refugees who remain in State accommodation will not pay new fees
New barriers to citizenship form part of Government tightening of immigration system
Asylum seekers to pay up to 40% of income to fund accommodation under new plan
More restrictive family reunification rules also proposed
Health sectors seek work-permit changes to allow more non-European staff
Department of Enterprise looking at rule governing work permits following concerns raised by nursing home sector
Mother and baby home records held in database ‘not fit for purpose’
Tusla warned Government that system would require ‘significant’ redevelopment to ensure preservation
Auto-enrolment Ireland: What long-delayed pension reform means for workers and future funds
Why the State’s ‘MyFutureFund’ scheme has taken decades and what to expect in January
Ireland deserves a Minister for Finance with the right skill set. Is Simon Harris this person?
Finance is not a ministry one ‘figures out’ over time. It requires deep fluency in how capital moves, how complex systems behave, how shocks propagate and how a small open economy survives
Can the ‘fog clear’ to deliver clean Irish offshore wind energy?
Planning reforms and other actions needed if Ireland is to successfully transition to a decarbonised power system
Planning bottleneck means Ireland will fall short of offshore wind targets for 2030, says industry
Offshore wind developers before Oireachtas committee blame unreasonable demands from planning authorities for delivery challenges
Paschal Donohoe admits he considered not running in 2024 general election
Former minister for finance says he applied for his new role with the World Bank
Paschal Donohoe’s departure gives Coalition a different complexion
Tánaiste Simon Harris, now Minister for Finance, assumes an even more prominent role
Ministers seek more than €2bn to cover costs in excess of this year’s budget
Gardaí require extra €20m for public order overtime, immigration activity and deportations
TDs express shock at Paschal Donohoe’s departure; Simon Harris to become Minister for Finance as part of reshuffle
Fine Gael TD set to take one of the most senior jobs at World Bank
‘He’s probably reached the end of the road’: Donohoe’s constituents on his time in politics
Voters around Phibsborough recall a shrewd politician and skilled communicator with a legacy tied to crisis
Who is Paschal Donohoe? Profile of Minister for Finance stepping down for role at World Bank
The Fine Gael TD’s global appointment underscores his reputation as a pragmatic and consensus-driven leader
Is putting some of corporation tax windfall into long-term funds the right thing to do?
And will we resist pressure to raid these reserves as happened to the National Pension Reserve Fund during the financial crisis?
‘Complex’ property rights could stymie plans to remove domestic abusers from homes
Official figures may understate number being made homeless by domestic violence, Government figures believe
‘Concern’ at three bird flu outbreaks early in high-risk period, Minister says
Bird flu outbreaks have been confirmed in commercial turkey flocks in Carlow, Meath and Monaghan
Motorists caught speeding at over 200km/h on motorway avoided driving bans after making charity donations
Donation of €20,000 sought from motorist driving at speed in excess of 200km/h
How Ireland plans to speed up the delivery of big projects
Department of Public Expenditure has been criticised over hurdles large projects have had to clear
New housing plan revealed as Fianna Fáil awaits Áras bid review
Your essential end-of-week catch-up on the events that shape agendas
Fossil fuel dependence ‘is Ireland’s biggest block’ to achieving carbon emissions cuts
‘Expensive’ fossil fuels subsidised by €4.7bn of taxpayers’ money as Climate Change Advisory Council warns over ‘harmful use’
Emergency response hubs to play critical role in helping Ireland withstand future storms
National Emergency Co-ordination Group expects State to have ‘six to 12 mid-level storms in any given season’
Unions will fight for next round of public sector pay increases, new Siptu leader says
John King says unions have had no indication yet whether the Government wishes to negotiate another multi-year deal
Denis O’Brien says Ireland’s graduates are ‘entitled’ and predicts economic downturn
Businessman also takes aim at Irish planning regime and warns economic downturn ‘likely to be soon’
New housing plan aims to deliver 12,000 social homes and 15,000 affordable units per year
Coalition’s long-awaited plan set to include expansion of Land Development Agency’s role
Harris promises to use EU loans if military funding is not forthcoming
Government has so far opted not to draw on €150 billion EU loan facility for countries to strengthen their militaries
Post-election political lull won’t last long as housing comes back into focus
Your essential end-of-week politics catch up
How can Ireland help to sustainably feed 10bn people and slow global warming by 2050?
With a new world order, co-operating countries will have to live with doing more with less
State’s underlying exchequer deficit widens to €4.2bn
Deficit of €900m recorded for 10-month period, compared to a surplus of €1.3bn a year earlier
What does EU’s revised plan to slash emissions mean for Irish households, farmers and industry?
Ahead of Cop30 in Brazil, EU environment ministers have agreed a watered-down goal to cut emissions by 90% by 2040
Weak investment to mitigate extreme weather sharpens risk to ‘Ireland’s fiscal resilience’
Central Bank of Ireland and Climate Change Advisory Council highlight urgent need to address ‘insurance protection gap’
Simply Blue secures investment from Japan’s Kansai Electric to drive offshore wind expansion
‘Continued momentum depends on timely Government action to unlock the full potential of projects’
Uisce Éireann defends projections for Shannon pipeline indicating ‘potential to serve 50% of national needs’
Utility criticised in consultation process for limiting projections up to 2050
Opposition to Mercosur trade deal waning as crunch EU vote approaches
Ireland and other EU states to vote on controversial Mercosur trade deal in December
John Collison’s critique of Ireland’s failures stirs Coalition debate
Tech founder is ‘quite right’ that infrastructure delivery is too slow, Taoiseach’s spokesman says
John Collison of Stripe: Ireland is going backwards. Here’s how to get it moving
The Stripe co-founder looks at how the State can get out of the government-by-agency corner into which it has painted itself
Emergency laws to fast-track key infrastructure projects like MetroLink being considered
The new laws would identify projects of national importance and allow some planning processes to be bypassed
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Stardust
Inquests into the nightclub fire that led to the deaths of 48 people
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
Family NoticesOpens in new window
Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices