Fiach Kelly

Fiach Kelly

Fiach Kelly is Deputy Political Editor

Tánaiste Simon Coveney and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. Photograph: James Forde
Government two weeks from pivotal Brexit decisions

Three-day talks to cover economic interventions and state aid for vulnerable industries

Minister for Health Simon Harris: managed to tie both Varadkar and Donohoe into the hospital issue. Photograph: Tom Honan/The Irish Times
Ripple effects of children’s hospital controversy will linger

Inside Politics: Simon Harris is set to sail through vote of no confidence, but relations in Government are damaged

Barry Andrews is congratulated by two of his children, Kate and Hugh, after being selected to contest the European Elections for Fianna Fáil in Dublin. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times
Barry Andrews: European candidate plucked from Fianna Fáil royalty

The new MEP candidate for Dublin comes from a line of TDs and senior party figures

Fianna Fáil TD Willie O’Dea said he could ‘walk away’ from the confidence-and-supply deal if Brexit and other issues damaged faith in Government. File photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill /The Irish Times
Fianna Fáil warns stable Brexit could mean end to confidence and supply

Senior party figures say clarity on Brexit would bring a general election ‘within weeks’

Young people in Northern Ireland have less interaction with others of different race, religion and age: “This environment is ripe for fostering extreme beliefs, actions and violence.” Photograph: Clodagh Kilcoyne
Segregation growing in North, report on reunification issues finds

Warning hard border or quick referendum on Irish unity would bring back violence

Former minister of state Barry Andrews (front, right) has been selected to contest the European Parliament election in Dublin for Fianna Fáil. Photograph Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times
Barry Andrews to contest Dublin for FF in European election

Party frustrated at being associated with Government’s difficulties, says former minister of state

Simon Coveney: said such a package must not be ‘unreasonable’ or ‘put an unfair burden on Ireland’. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters
Coveney says EU will agree ‘some package’ to help May sell deal

Taoiseach predicts ‘nasty surprise’ for those expecting EU27 unity to crack

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the inability of the House of Commons to ratify the Brexit withdrawal agreement meant the UK is currently stuck. Photograph: Collins
No-deal Brexit will hit UK’s ability to strike trade deals, says Varadkar

Countries are asking if the UK can ‘make [trade deals], ratify them and stick to them’

Fianna Fáil TD John McGuinness. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
Love is not in the air for Fianna Fáil over confidence-and-supply deal

Inside Politics: Party rolled its eyes when John McGuinness was on radio

John McGuinness: he said rank-and-file party members were unhappy with the extension to the deal that underpins the Fine Gael-led minority government
Fianna Fáil TD criticises ‘same old tired record from John McGuinness’

Cowen and McGuinness had row at Fianna Fáil party meeting over extension of confidence and supply deal

Minister for Housing, Eoghan Murphy: “While there is no quick fix, our housing plan is now showing real progress in the delivery of new homes and new social housing homes.” Photograph: Tom Honan
Number of new social homes on target – Minister for Housing

Rebuilding Ireland plan wants to increase the supply of social homes to 10,000 by 2021

Ministers discussed the episode which saw protesters block Mr Harris, his wife and their three-week-old daughter in their home in Greystones, Co Wicklow. Photograph: Tom Honan
Senior garda examining security for Ministers after Simon Harris incident

Fears expressed by some members of Cabinet about safety

Barry Cowen (left), the spokesman on public expenditure, and John McGuinness (right), the outspoken deputy for Carlow-Kilkenny, clashed in front of colleagues at the weekly Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting. File photographs: The Irish Times
FF’s Cowen, McGuinness clash over confidence-and-supply deal

Offaly TD criticises some colleagues for speaking in ‘personal capacity’ at interviews

Minister for Health Simon Harris addressing the Dáil on Tuesday.
Children’s hospital: Simon Harris apologises for his answer on rising cost

‘I should have added further detail that the process was ongoing to finalise costs’

Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy: the department has been seeking ways to make it less attractive for people to turn down offers of social housing. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill / The Irish Times
Families who turn down two offers of social housing face five-year wait

New rules mean applicant will be suspended from the waiting list for five years

Any motion against Simon Harris (above) will fail, but will be used by Sinn Féin to further underline its distinction from both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael for its target audience. Photograph: Dara Mac Donaill / The Irish Times
FF will not breach confidence-and-supply deal, despite pressure over Harris

Sinn Féin’s no-confidence motions will fail to get FF backing due to its deal with FG

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said he did not find Simon Harris’s “explanations credible at all”. Photograph: Laura Hutton
Hospital controversy damaging public view of Government, Varadkar says

Taoiseach says he understands taxpayers ‘very annoyed’ about cost overrun

Mary Lou McDonald on the screen during the Sinn Féin special ardfheis held in the RDS. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
McDonald’s tricky first year underlines Sinn Féin’s central problem

Party sources say it is after the ‘angry vote’, raising questions about longer-term strategy

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he has “total confidence” in Minister for Health Simon Harris. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times
Cost overruns in children’s hospital damaged faith in Government, says Taoiseach

‘I have every confidence in Mr Harris but am not going to pre-empt what he says in Dáil’

Philippe Lamberts said the EU single market must be protected. Pictured in 2012, photograph: Sakis Mitrolidis/AFP/GettyImages
MEP says EU is ‘standing behind’ Ireland as no-deal Brexit looms

Philippe Lamberts says Ireland is between ‘a rock and a hard place’ in Brexit negotiations

File photograph of President Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina voting in 2014. Photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons
Referendum on voting rights for Irish abroad due in autumn

Poll about franchise for presidential election campaigns was initially expected in May

Nurses on the picket line at St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin last week. Photograph: Collins
Nurses’ pay dispute steps up a gear

Inside Politics: 50,000 medical appointments are rescheduled due to second strike today by almost 40,000 nurses and midwives

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said: “There are definitely options for preserving the integrity of the single market even when Northern Ireland isn’t part of it because it is part of Britain while at the same time meeting the desire to have, if possible, no border controls”. Photograph: Toshifumi Kitamura/Pool Photo via AP
Brexit: Merkel suggests ‘creative’ approach on the Border

David Trimble plans to take UK government to court over backstop agreement

Minister for Climate Action and the Environment Richard Bruton: his climate plan will be implemented if Britain has an orderly exit from the EU. Photograph: Finbarr O’Rourke
Major Irish climate change plan could be delayed by Brexit

Plan to lead world in tackling carbon emissions may be ‘paused’ if UK crashes out of EU

Conor Lenihan at the announcement that he wishes to be selected by Fianna Fáil to be its candidate in the upcoming European Election. Photograph: Gareth Chaney Collins
Ireland should become ‘advocate for Britain’ after Brexit – former minister

MEP candidate Conor Lenihan also says he has nothing to hide in past Russia dealings

Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín said a notice in a recent parish newsletters asking “pro-life supporters especially” to attend one of his rallies was not ordered by him. Photograph: Cyril Byrne
Peadar Tóibín says third of new party members are FF supporters

TD distances himself from parish newsletter adverts inviting ‘pro-life supporters’ to rally

Kit Malthouse, right – who gives his name to the Tories’ Malthouse compromise – and Boris Johnson in 2011. Photograph: Matthew Lloyd/Getty Images
Malthouse compromise: an idea whose time has come – and gone

Industry figures trash Tories’ reheated idea of technology plus checks away from Border

Dominic Raab gives evidence about the Brexit backstop to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee in London. Mr Raab claims a meeting he had with Simon Coveney ‘was leaked in an inaccurate and misrepresenting way by the Taoiseach directly’ Photograph: PA Wire
Government describes Raab meeting leak claims as ‘off the wall’

Former Brexit secretary accused Taoiseach of ‘directly’ leaking Tánaiste meeting's contents to UK newspapers

Tánaiste Simon Coveney addresses a meeting of the Institute of International and European Affairs at the Gresham hotel in Dublin. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire
Peace more important than economics, says Coveney

Tánaiste warns Ireland will not be casualty of Tory infighting

British prime minister Theresa May addresses MPs following the results of voting on amendments put forward by MPs over the Government’s Brexit deal, in the House of Commons, London, on Tuesday. Photograph: UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/PA Wire
May pledges to reopen Brexit deal after victory in key vote

PM wants to secure ‘legally binding changes’ to withdrawal agreement

Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan and Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan speaking to journalists on the Government’s decision to hold a referendum to amend the constitutional provisions on divorce. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Referendum to be held in May to remove divorce restrictions

It is proposed that the divorce waiting period will drop to two out of three years living apart if the referendum is passed.

The Irish economy would be 4.5 per cent smaller by 2023 than current projections, following a no-deal Brexit, the Department of Finance warned. Photograph: PA PA Wire
No-deal Brexit would not trigger recession, Department of Finance says

Unemployment rate could rise 2 per cent if UK leaves EU without deal, department says

British prime minister Theresa May: cannot win parliamentary backing for her deal based on Conservative and DUP votes. Photograph: REUTERS/Hannah McKay
Brexiteers dismiss May’s attempt to replace backstop in withdrawal agreement

Inside Politics: Amendment calling for alternative arrangements to avoid hard border does not detail what these are

Simon Coveney told BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show: ‘The backstop is already a compromise’. Photograph: Jeff Overs/BBC/handout via Reuters.
Brexit: Dublin says deal could be reopened if UK moves on ‘red lines’

If UK stays in customs union and rejects hard border, negotiations could begin – sources

Micheál Martin says: ‘I am blocking nobody from running for anything.’ Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
Micheál Martin denies blocking anybody from European elections

FF leader asks members to think of the party when selecting MEP candidates

Simon Coveney: ‘The backstop is already a compromise.’ Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/File
There will be no change to the Brexit backstop, says Coveney

Tánaiste says nobody has come up with sensible solution to avoid hard Border

Political sources have previously said Mr Hogan could change brief if he remains at the Commission. File photograph: Alan Betson
Phil Hogan confirms he would like second term as European Commissioner

It is understood Varadkar has not given Mr Hogan a commitment on the issue

Flags tied to railings outside parliament in London: The Irish Government’s no-deal Brexit Bill attempts to cover all likely areas of change. Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth
What’s in the Government’s no-deal Brexit omnibus Bill?

State’s 95-page legislation document covers healthcare, education and social protection

A ‘No Border, No Brexit’ sticker on a road sign in front of the peace statue entitled ‘Hands Across the Divide’ in Derry. Photograph: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters
Bill published detailing Irish preparations for no-deal Brexit

Legislation covers issues ranging from social welfare to immigration controls

Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan: “I would like to see the Bill progressed. So would Shane.” Photograph: James Forde
Flanagan warns of destabilising effect of Judicial Appointments Bill

Minister for Justice says Minister for Transport has his ‘boot on his neck’ over Bill

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is to meet all party leaders in the Dáil on a fortnightly basis to maintain political consensus on the approach to Brexit. File photograph: Tom Honan
Prospect of border checks in France and Netherlands downplayed

Varadkar remark ‘made in passing’ at Brexit briefing for Opposition leaders

Government Chief Whip Seán Kyne recently told TDs that any unapproved absences during the coming Dáil term will be reported to the Taoiseach. Photograph: Dara Mac Donaill / The Irish Times
Hidden vote deal between Alliance and Fine Gael comes under pressure

Alliance under pressure not to vote against Government on occupied territories Bill

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has asked his Ministers to refrain from criticising Shane Ross. Photograph: Dara Mac Donaill/ The Irish Times
Varadkar asks Ministers to stop criticising Shane Ross

Taoiseach wants to end public ‘back and forth’ with Independent Alliance

Robert Watt, secretary general of the Department of Public Expenditure, has declined to attend an Oireachtas committee meeting to answer questions on the hospital overspend. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Cost hike of €450m for children’s hospital ‘very disturbing’

PAC to hear €50m of overrun for St James’s site to come from health budget this year

Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney speaking to the media at Government Buildings. Photograph: Tom Honan for The Irish Times
‘Very difficult’ to avoid border infrastructure under no-deal Brexit

Simon Coveney says backstop is the solution to protecting the status quo in Ireland

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald: “Dublin cannot blink . . . I will tell the Taoiseach that he must stand firm in the face of British pressure.” Photograph: John Thys/AFP
Hauliers get assurance on customs arrangements

In event of no-deal Brexit, arrangements at ports will remain unaltered for nine months

Polish foreign minister Jacek Czaputowicz: Warsaw political observers say he has no political base and little connection to party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski. Photograph: Robert Ghement
Germany joins Ireland in rejecting proposed ‘five-year’ backstop limit

Polish foreign minister says London, Dublin ‘playing chicken’ over post-Brexit border

Britain’s prime minister Theresa May: expected to table a neutral motion in the House of Commons on Monday. Photograph: Hannah McKay
Red-line compromise key to any Brexit progress for May

Dublin and Brussels may agree to bargain on political declaration rewrite but not backstop

The site of the proposed National Children’s Hospital, which is currently projected to cost €1.43bn. Photograph: Eric Luke
Official refuses to attend hearing on cost of children’s hospital

Public expenditure secretary claims health counterpart should answer Oireachtas questions

Fianna Fáil’s Eamon Ó Cúiv: “What I am proposing is that through the LocalLink companies a subsidy be given to service providers on an organised basis to provide local area hackney services in and around rural areas”
Call for taxi firms to get subsidies so people in rural areas can socialise locally

Minister says number of checkpoints in recent weeks had led ‘Joe Public’ to feel ‘persecuted’

Britain’s prime minister Theresa May makes a statement at Downing Street after she won a vote of no confidence in the government. Photograph: Neil Hall/EPA
A lull in the crisis as Theresa May attempts to cobble together a way forward on Brexit

Inside Politics: Shane Ross caught on tape privately admitting he didn’t know what to say at press conference

Minister for Transport Shane Ross. A Minister said Mr Ross’s public performance was not surprising given that he did not seem ‘up to speed’ on Brexit preparations in his own portfolio.
Ministers criticise Shane Ross over suggestion of Border checks

Minister for Transport’s Brexit remarks were ‘as if he didn’t even read his own documents’

Drivers are told by gardaí to blame increased checks on Minister for Transport Shane Ross, according to one Minister. Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins
Ministers criticise increased drink-driving checkpoints as 'over the top'

Garda checkpoints are ‘over the top’ and akin to ‘police state’, Cabinet member claims

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said if the UK moved on its red lines of ruling out membership of the customs union and single market, the EU position would also evolve. Photograph: Dara Mac Donaill
Ireland cannot shift on hard border after Brexit - Varadkar

Taoiseach says UK government must honour its commitments to the people of Ireland ‘north and south’

Simon Coveney brought a memo to Cabinet on Tuesday on the operation of the CTA in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill / The Irish Times
Rights of Irish in Britain and British in Ireland protected from no-deal Brexit

New UK-Ireland arrangement to protect Common Travel Area ‘ready to go’ – Tánaiste

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe is to complete a review of the Local Property Tax by the end of March. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Independent Alliance wants cap on Local Property Tax

Homes are to be revalued for the levy, with the amended bills taking effect next year

Assistant commissioner Fintan Fanning is currently suspended and under investigation by Gsoc but is due to retire in August File photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons/The Irish Times
Proposal to prevent Gardaí from retiring if under investigation by Gsoc

Minister for Justice calls for accelerated investigation of retiring members cases

Seán Ó Fearghaíl, Ceann Comhairle: “That was a decision that the Public Accounts Committee made itself and it is empowered to make these decisions”.
PAC ‘treading on embers’ in investigating Áras spending in election run-up

‘I can’t decide what their (PAC’s) agenda is’ – Ceann Comhairle

Arson attack took place at the KBC bank premises on the Main Street in Swords at 5.18am.
KBC refuses to engage with staff over arson attacks, union says

Controversial eviction took place at Roscommon farm

Michael D’Arcy, the Minister of State with special responsibility for insurance. “I find the settlement channels incredibly diverse,” he says. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Some insurance firms settling claims without medical reports to prove injuries

Database tracking insurance claims will be running by end of year, says Minister

Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan wants ‘only persons of suitable character’ employed by private security firms. ‘In other words, no criminal convictions,’ he said. Photograph: James Forde
Flanagan criticises TDs who liken home reposessions ‘to the Famine’

Minister outlines plans for regulating private security companies involved in evictions

Sheila Nunan: “I obviously have been in organised labour all my life; this is a shift to political Labour.” Photograph Nick Bradshaw
Labour lines up outgoing INTO boss to stand in European elections

Nunan contesting selection convention to be candidate in Ireland South despite claims move could ‘look like desperation’

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar meets Irish troops in Mali during his visit to Africa.
Varadkar on Brexit: We don’t want to trap the UK

Tánaiste to warn time for ‘wishful thinking’ is over if Britain is to avoid no-deal Brexit

Credit unions want greater flexibility to set their own business models. Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin.
Credit unions could be allowed to push up the cost of loans

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe looks to amend legislation to increase interest rate cap for credit unions

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said acceding to the nurses’ pay demands would “take us back to the bad old days of unsustainable and unaffordable pay rises”. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
Nurses meet to plan strikes as Government signals no concessions

Minister for Finance says acceding demands would ‘take us back to the bad old days’

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin and Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin: Mr Howlin says both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are “chameleons” who will change their polices to get into power. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Fianna Fáil more in line with Labour than Fine Gael, says Howlin

Labour leader wants centre left alliance to negotiate future coalition as a bloc

“Credit unions are not banks,” said one Minister, adding that they usually “look after” people who may usually have difficulty accessing credit from banks. Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins
Ministers concerned over plan to expand lending by credit unions

Higher-risk loans could pave way for ‘aggressive moneylending’, Ministers claim

Anti-abortion protesters outside a GP surgery in Galway city on Thursday morning.
Taoiseach says people should not protest outside centres that provide abortion

A woman going through a crisis pregnancy ‘is going through enough upset and turmoil’

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Christian Social Union regional group chairman in the German parliament Bundestag Alexander Dobrindt attend the annual Christian Social Union party meeting at Kloster Seeon, in Seeon, Germany. Photograph: EPA
Series of votes on Brexit may be needed in UK House of Commons, says Taoiseach

‘Divorce can bring those left behind closer together’, Varadkar says in Bavaria

Minister of State for Disability Issues Finian McGrath said the Government must get over a fear of being labelled as being “on the side of developers”. Photograph: James Forde
McGrath urges Government to expand supply of affordable homes

Government should not fear allowing builders make bigger profits, Minister of State says

HMCervicalCheckCasheuros
CervicalCheck compensation scheme set to cost up to €15m

Cost is based on State’s contribution of €25,000 to one case settled out of court

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar speaks to the media following the first Cabinet meeting of 2019 at Government Buildings, Dublin, on Thursday. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times
EU clarifications could help May sell withdrawal deal, says Varadkar

Report says 1,000 police officers will be sent to North in case of no-deal Brexit disorder

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he and German chancellor Angela Merkel had a long phone conversation at her request. File image: Tom Honan/The Irish Times
Varadkar and Merkel discuss ‘no deal’ Brexit planning in phone call

German chancellor and Taoiseach reiterate support for UK withdrawal deal in 40-minute conversation

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has with deputy leader Nichola Mallon written to party members assuring them that any relationship with Fianna Fáil would be for the party to endorse or reject. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire
SDLP partnership talks with Fianna Fáil nearing an end

Colum Eastwood and Nichola Mallon aware ‘change won’t be comfortable for some’

Tánaiste Simon Coveney said Fine Gael had more scope to gain seats in the Munster region than in the greater Dublin area. Photograph: Virginia Mayo/EPA
Simon Coveney says FG may form rainbow coalition after next election

Fine Gael could win ‘well above’ 60 seats in a general election, Tánaiste claims

Shane Ross’s planned anti-speeding measures have prompted concerns. Photograph: Dave Meehan
Attorney General raises serious concerns about Shane Ross’s anti-speeding measures

Séamus Woulfe questions if planned graduated speeding penalties are ‘proportionate’

An artist’s impression of the exterior of the proposed new National Children’s Hospital at St James’s in Dublin
Children’s hospital may sell naming rights to donors

Harris considering sponsor opportunities for overall and sectional nomenclature at site

St James’s Hospital, site of new children’s hospital. Photograph: Julien Behal/PA Wire
Rising cost of running children’s hospital ‘a worry’, says Varadkar

Construction costs have risen, now estimated annual operating costs spiral upwards

Projects that may be shelved include new laboratories and theatres at the Coombe hospital, and a €3.4m investment in paediatric and blood services.
Key health projects face five-year delays because of Children's Hospital costs

Confidential memo from Simon Harris says final bill for the facility could be €1.73bn

Tánaiste Simon Coveney meets then British foreign secretary Boris Johnson, a prominent Brexiteer, at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London on January 31st last. Photograph: Jack Taylor/AFP/Getty Images.
Brexiteers should get acquainted with Irish history, Coveney says

Tánaiste responds to Rees-Mogg claim that hard Border can be avoided even if no Brexit deal reached

Michael McDowell: “The reform of the Seanad is not a matter best left to the initiative of the unreformed Seanad.” Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
McDowell urges Dáil to take lead on Seanad election reforms

Senator argues Seanad should not be relied on to implement changes in a timely fashion

Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl would not be drawn on whether his proposal followed controversial comments made by Peter Casey in the presidential election campaign. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
Ceann Comhairle says Varadkar should appoint Traveller to Seanad

Seán Ó Fearghaíl proposes new Dáil committee to examine concerns of ethnic group

It is understood Taoiseach Leo Varadkar met Minister for Transport Shane Ross before the Cabinet meeting and brokered a deal. Photograph: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin.
Fine Gael Minister ‘would rather fight election’ than pass Ross road bill

Measures removing Garda discretion to allow motorists present licence at station are stalled

Among other reforms is the possible divestment of “non-core” activities away from An Garda Síochána. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
New intelligence centre will identify threats to State security

Government accepts Garda oversight bodies will be reduced from three to two

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar pictured speaking to reporters in James Connolly Memorial Hospital in Blanchardstown on Monday. Photograph: Aidan Crawley
Spiralling children’s hospital costs 'will delay other projects'

Taoiseach says latest increase is ‘way beyond what we had ever anticipated’

Presidential candidate Peter Casey sharply criticised what he described as a complete lack of detail in the review. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times
Peter Casey says breakdown of President’s spending is ‘self-promoting drivel’

Presidential candidate responds to document revealing details of Higgins’s allowance

Mayo County Council
Mayo councillors breached code of conduct over land rezoning, says Sipo

Frank Durcan and Cyril Burke investigated by State ethics watchdog over Castlebar land

The spending report: ‘The Presidency in review, 2011-2018,’ said an unspent portion of the €317,000 annual allowance - a cumulative €238,443 - will be returned to the exchequer. Photograph: PA
Áras publishes details of spending by Higgins during first term

Food and beverages is the most expensive element of events, costing €125,589 in 2018

Fianna Fáil TD John McGuinness has said the extension of the confidence and supply agreement has put his party in a ‘straitjacket’. Photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons
Fine Gael deal puts Fianna Fáil in ‘straitjacket’, says TD

Martin has given Government ‘blank cheque’ by extending agreement, says McGuinness

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin speaks to the media on the plinth at Leinster House. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
New Fine Gael-Fianna Fáil deal to conclude in spring 2020

Martin and Varadkar will appoint two teams of four to oversee running of agreement

Micheál Martin on Leinster House plinth on Wednesday. The Fianna Fáil leader reacted sharply to suggestions that the extension was offered in the hope Fianna Fáil could close the gap on Fine Gael. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
Martin cites national interest and Brexit for keeping Varadkar in power

Fianna Fáil leader showed deft political management in how he manoeuvred party

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin: “People will not be happy with this decision within the party. I think the general public will be.” Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
Fianna Fáil put public ahead of party for deal with Government – Martin

Coveney praises ‘maturity’ of FF agreement that there be no election until 2020

Leo Varadkar had asked Micheál Martin to agree to hold the next general election in the summer of 2020. File photograph: Bryan O’Brien
Martin rules out election in 2019, saying it would not be in the national interest

‘Political chaos we see in London will not be allowed to spread to Ireland,’ Martin says

British prime minister Theresa May is facing a leadership challenge. Photograph: EPA/JULIEN WARNAND
May vows to fight confidence vote

Inside Politics: Chairman of Tory committee announces threshold of 48 MPs to trigger a vote has been reached

Shane Ross, Minister for Transport: proposals at an early stage. Photograph: Alan Betson / The Irish Times
Ross’s speeding fine proposal shows his determination on safety law reforms

Penalty points and €80 fine proposed for drivers who don’t have driving licence to hand

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin are to meet on Wednesday to discuss the future of the confidence and supply deal, sources say. File photograph: Bryan O’Brien/The Irish Times.
Varadkar and Martin discuss confidence and supply extension

FG and FF have been reviewing agreement, which props up minority Government

Shane Ross said the idea behind his proposals “is that the faster you go the more points you get”
Motorists speeding up to 30km/h over limit may face 7 penalty points

Graduated speeding measures sought by Minister for Transport Shane Ross

Theresa May (L) shakes hands with Angela Merkel ahead of talks at the Chancellery in Berlin on Tuesday. Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg
Theresa May to visit Dublin as part of effort to save Brexit deal

Juncker says there is ‘no room whatsoever for renegotiation’ as PM seeks concessions

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in Dublin on Monday. A statement from Government Buildings said both he and European Council president Donald Tusk agreed the Brexit withdrawal agreement “could not be renegotiated”. Photograph: PA Wire
Varadkar and Tusk agree plans for no-deal Brexit should intensify

Taoiseach warns any clarifications on what withdrawal agreement says cannot change its substance

Minister for Transport Shane Ross: “Speeding is a killer, drink-driving is a killer. They both kill in almost equal amounts.” Photograph: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin.
Drivers face penalty points, €80 fine if stopped without licence

Ross moves to introduce long-promised graduated fines for speeding

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