Jim O’Callaghan will bide his time, but the great game is on
Micheál Martin is going nowhere for now, but the power dynamics have definitely shifted following the Gavin debacle
Dara Calleary
FF politicians to demand answers from Micheál Martin on Jim Gavin’s campaign implosion
Anger and disappointment set to be vented at party meeting where Taoiseach will face questions
How will welfare changes affect children in poverty, pensioners, single parents?
Budget 2026: Minister will be hoping children in poverty and disabled people will feel the greatest uplift – but will they?
Tackling child poverty and helping people with disabilities priority for Dara Calleary
Raising benefit rates, upping thresholds and removing barriers to work among measures
From childcare to welfare: five takeaways from Budget 2026
What are the headline measures in the Government’s €9.4 billion spending plans?
Budget 2026: What’s another year to a hungry two-year-old?
Nobody disagrees on the value of a second tier of child benefit. So why has it not been introduced? Lethargy
Budget 2026: All we know so far about childcare fees, Christmas bonus payment, renters tax and fuel allowance
One-off cost-of-living measures seen in recent budgets are being dropped as part of efforts to rein in spending
Third-level student fees ‘to be cut by €500 permanently in Budget’
Another €12 weekly rise in core welfare payments in doubt as talks go down to wire
Budget 2026: Doubts over €12-a-week welfare hike as personal tax cuts ruled out
Lower student fees and rise in income thresholds for grants remain on table with talks going to wire
Budget 2026: €400 energy credit, welfare increases and cut to high-earner tax credit among Social Democrats’ proposals
Social Democrats would seek to drive down cost-of-living
Proposed rent tax credit reforms face opposition in budget talks
Special relief for tenants in new builds and extending the carer’s allowance are among measures planned in October package
The campaign teams behind the Irish presidential election candidates
Heather Humphreys of Fine Gael, Jim Gavin of Fianna Fáil and Independent Catherine Connolly have assembled experienced backroom teams
Budget 2026 should raise social welfare payments to cut child poverty, says Dara Calleary
Minister for Social Protection says Ireland’s disabled unemployment rate is ‘just not acceptable’
High seas and unsafe piers force families to abandon west-coast island for school term
A viral video of parked vehicles being lashed by sea swells shows the risks to families relying on Atlantic quays for island life
Child poverty reduction target of 3% by 2030 not sufficient, says charity
Children’s Rights Alliance believes it will take up to five generations to break cycle of poverty
State funding for innovation to significantly increase in ambitious new plan
Step change in research funding is linchpin of Government’s new competitiveness plan
Disability rights strategy ‘very vague’ and lacks ambition, says activist
Strategy lacks specific targets, says rights campaigner Amy Hassett
Inis Oírr to receive €36m for new pier
Record funding package will mean ‘safety and certainty’ and is ‘statement of intent’ on future of islands
A promising start for Jim O’Callaghan, not so for James Browne: How has the Cabinet performed in its first six months?
Jim O’Callaghan and Peter Burke have made promising starts, James Browne has a lot of catching up to do
Minister for Justice to tell Cabinet preferred candidate for next Garda Commissioner
Current commissioner Drew Harris to remain in role until September 1st
State agencies to implement new rules aiming to enhance transparency in political ads
Introduction of alcohol warning labels to be deferred for two years, Ministers to hear
Selling pensions in the summer sun
Government finally launches information campaign on how auto-enrolment will work as target audience is tuned out and on holiday
Rising number of neurodivergent children on disability payments prompts welfare dependency fears
Number receiving domiciliary care allowance up by as much as 46% in some areas over five years
‘It feels like home to me’: Mr Price staff demonstrate value of employing disabled people
Ireland has ‘one of the lowest employment rates’ in Europe for people with disabilities, which is ‘just not acceptable’, says Minister
Thousands of holiday lets will need planning permission due to Rent Pressure Zone changes
Coalition could face a backlash from ministers in affected areas
Appeals against initial refusal of Domiciliary Care Allowance successful 60% of time
A third of families who applied for the payment were turned down
Legislation to extend rent pressure zones to entire country to be rushed through Dáil and Seanad
Emergency law will mean remaining 55 out of 166 electoral areas to become RPZs this month
Irish Life, Amundi and BlackRock picked to run Ireland’s auto enrolment pot
Ireland’s auto-enrolment scheme to begin in January
Workers without pensions are big losers from latest auto-enrolment delay
As the start date is put back once again, companies need certainty and workers deserve some commitment
Further delay to auto-enrolment pension plan
Government to push back start date for compulsory workplace scheme to beginning of 2026
Concerns over nutritional quality of hot school meals programme
Coeliac Society of Ireland says coeliac children are ‘often left out entirely or forced to accept a single repetitive menu’
Hot school meals: High fat, salt and sugar products to be removed from scheme
Review of the scheme’s nutritional standards to be conducted by Department of Health dietician
Social welfare payments for those who lose jobs will be linked to previous earnings from Monday
Three weekly payment rates are available under the scheme for qualifying workers
Irish language under threat from Gaeltacht housing crisis, warn activists
Government urged to tackle Gaeltacht housing crisis and enhance Údarás na Gaeltachta’s statutory powers
Social Protection officials may be allowed to sit in on Garda interviews in welfare fraud investigations
Dara Calleary looking at legislation on this issue on foot of recommendations of review group on economic crime
€5.2m in humanitarian payments after Storm Éowyn exceeds annual totals since at least 2017
Payments totalling €3.8 million after in 2023 Storm Babet next highest sum after an extreme weather event
‘None of this would have happened but for her’: Widower who won law change over pension inequality welcomes reform
John O’Meara challenged refusal to allow him to receive the contributory welfare payment after his partner died
Plans to extend widow’s and widower’s pensions to non-marital surviving partners to go to Cabinet
Changes to triple lock for troop deployments, €100 million for Ukraine and proposal for LNG facility also due to be discussed by Ministers
Pension auto-enrolment scheme: Long-awaited search for asset managers to start next week
‘My Future Fund’ scheme to apply to those between 23 and 60 who earn at least €20,000
Higher fines for dog owners were needed to send a ‘strong message to take responsibility’ – officials
Proposed legislation will consider more breeds for restricted list, Minister told in briefing
Spiralling numbers being diagnosed with disabilities will have ‘significant impact’ on social welfare spend
Expenditure on disability income supports up from €3.5 billion in 2010 to €6 billion in 2025
Abolishing means testing of carer’s allowance could cost €3bn a year
Social welfare overpayments of €558 million also noted in briefing note for new Minister for Social Protection
Investigators found 6,000 cases of suspected welfare fraud last year
Data covering a six-year period shows suspected fraud arises most frequently in jobseekers claims
Minister to discuss Irish language cuts with cross-Border body
Language groups meet in Dublin for ‘crisis assembly’ to discuss ‘broken’ Irish language funding model
Ray D’Arcy conjures up a Storm Éowyn image that would leave anyone feeling disconcerted
Radio: At least the RTÉ host is doing his bit to help out. Government Ministers seem caught in the headlights
Storm Éowyn: More than 130,000 customers still without electricity, ESB says
Galway GP has to dispose of vaccines due to power outages as many could be without electricity into next week
New sustainability reporting rules could hurt Ireland’s reputation, law firms warn
Corporate law firms sought to influence new regulations making large companies report on their environmental impact
Who’s in the Cabinet? All the Ministers appointed by Taoiseach Micheál Martin and their roles
Simon Harris takes Foreign Affairs, while Helen McEntee moves to Education, making way for Jim O’Callaghan at Justice
Ireland’s next government: Butler, Calleary, Heydon and Carroll MacNeill tipped for promotion
Fianna Fáil set to have 8 Cabinet seats and 7 will go to Fine Gael with Micheál Martin becoming next Taoiseach
Only certain ministerial job appointments so far are the five Independent TDs
Speculation intensifying six days ahead of formal appointment of new Cabinet next Wednesday
Pat Kenny’s outrage at imaginary injustices raises his show to jaw-dropping heights
Radio: The veteran presenter grows ever more outraged by imaginary injustices as he highlights potential shortcomings of the new builders’ register
Mayo constituency candidates list: Addition of extra seat may help Rose Conway-Walsh retain Sinn Féin seat
Election 2024: Retirement of poll-topper Michael Ring leaves at least two openings
Are the days of the tech-firm-founder-as-rock-star finished?
Decision to stop funding the NDRC incubator indicates shift towards more structured approach to fostering innovative business
Minister for Finance Jack Chambers questions whether Fine Gael envisages a public sector pay freeze
Fianna Fáil candidate criticises Sinn Féin for not publishing manifesto in advance of Monday’s leaders’ debate
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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
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