Saturday/Sunday
The Labour Party leader, Mr Quinn, said the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, and the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, had "compromised themselves" by spending some of their summer holidays in a villa in France owned by a businessman, Mr Ulick McEvaddy. Mr McEvaddy is seeking Government permission to build a privately owned terminal at Dublin Airport, and he also wants the Government to oppose proposed new EU rules on aircraft noise levels. His airline, Omega Air, uses comparatively noisy DC8 aircraft.
The North's First Minister, Mr David Trimble, said the UUP was correct not to form a power-sharing government in July in light of the subsequent killing of a Belfast taxi driver, Charles Bennett, and the uncovering of a Florida-based gun-smuggling operation.
The death took place of Dr Maurice Moynihan, who was a long-serving Government Secretary and former Governor of the Central Bank.
The annual Michael Collins commemoration took place at Beal na Blath in Co Cork. Senator Maurice Manning, who gave the oration, said the well-laid foundations of the State and its current success represented Collins's greatest achievement.
Monday
The controversial Stillorgan Quality Bus Corridor (QBC) opened along a 10 km stretch of road between Foxrock church and St Stephen's Green in Dublin. The Automobile Association criticised the introduction of the QBC without park-and-ride facilities.
A £2.5 billion investment plan for road and rail improvements in counties Dublin, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow has been submitted to the Government by the Dublin Transportation Office.
Mr David Trimble, speaking at the Omagh International Summer School, expressed disappointment that the Belfast Agreement was bogged down in dissension. He said there was no resistance within his Assembly party to setting up a fully inclusive executive, providing decommissioning took place. He restated his willingness to "jump together" with Sinn Fein in forming an executive.
Tuesday
Details of one of the year's most substantial pieces of legislation, a new Planning Bill which consolidates all planning acts since 1963, were announced by the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Mr Dempsey.
Its most innovative proposal is that developers who obtain planning permission to develop sites will have to sell up to 20 per cent of the land concerned to local authorities for social and affordable housing. The provision, which applies to sites acquired by developers from this week onwards, is expected to bring down land prices.
The Bill also proposes reforms to speed up planning decisions and to help foreign companies set up manufacturing facilities. It redefines the roles of An Bord Pleanala and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Ms Kay Turner (31), who was the first person in the State to be diagnosed with variant Creutz feldt-Jakob Disease - the human form of BSE in cattle - died at her home in Portlaoise.
Wednesday
The Government is planning a community warden service to enforce local authority regulations. The new lower-tier force will provide a visible presence for people in sheltered accommodation, and will police some traffic and parking regulations as well as acting as rangers in public parks.
The Belfast Telegraph reported that the Patten report on the future of policing in Northern Ireland, due to be published next month, would propose a major overhaul of the RUC. The newspaper said the proposals would include renaming the force, removing the Union Jack from stations, and changing the uniform, badge, oath and structures of the force.
The RUC Chief Constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, said he had no doubt that the Provisional IRA was involved in the murder of Charles Bennett.
Thursday
The Northern Ireland Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, ruled that the IRA ceasefire had not broken down. However, she said she was in no doubt the IRA was involved in the murder of Mr Bennett and said there was clear information about the organisation being implicated in the Florida gun-running operation.
The Dail Committee of Public Accounts is to commence hearings next week into bogus non-resident accounts. It was announced that those to be called before the inquiry include the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern.