Leo Varadkar | Business Post

Varadkar predicts insurance premiums will fall in next 18 months

The Tánaiste said that reforms of the insurance sector would eventually filter through to consumers and businesses

Industrial Relations

Government holds out on revised pay offer for 340,000 public sector workers

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar had earlier claimed that he expected the government to re-engage and make a ‘further offer’

New law will allow non-EU investments to be screened

Enterprise minister to get powers to stop financing that poses a threat to security or public order, in line with European Union regulation

Hospitality wage bills will rise by 5% to pay for living wage

Researchers say restaurants, pubs and hotels will be most impacted by living wage of €13.70 an hour, as the sector has the greatest number of minimum-wage workers

Doherty on Varadkar: ‘Myself and Leo have never hit it off’

Sinn Féin’s finance spokesman says he has “no working relationship” with the Tánaiste

Michael Brennan: Frustration for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael as Sinn Féin continues on record high

Struggling to grapple with the housing, health and cost of living crises, the coalition parties are watching Mary Lou McDonald steal their thunder on the issues of the day

Leaders' Questions

Varadkar and Doherty agree on need for more class places for children with special needs

Emergency legislation being considered to help 100 children with ‘nowhere to go’ as Sinn Féin TD criticises ‘a complete failure to plan on the part of government’

Cost of living crisis

Social welfare increases may kick in ‘immediately’ after Budget, Varadkar says

Tánaiste says bigger social welfare package needed to address rising cost of living

Pat Rabbitte: Questions for the utilities commission as energy crisis was waiting to happen

Even before the Ukraine invasion, it was clear to most that an energy squeeze was on the way. So why was nothing done about it?

Elaine Byrne: A historic taoiseach swap is coming, so what job might the new tánaiste want?

Traditionally the tánaiste becomes minister for foreign affairs but Micheál Martin might have his eye on finance to push through Fianna Fáil’s ‘big government’ model

Varadkar’s Dáil attack hints at frustration over SF’s polling surge, but is unlikely to sway voters

Verbal attacks in the Dáil may act as a deterrent to the opposition but they are of questionable use

Varadkar expects ‘significant increase’ in minimum wage next year as new plan announced

The cabinet has approved a public consultation process on a new method of introducing a living wage for around 137,000 workers

Analysis: How Sinn Féin is dominating among younger and middle-aged voters

The latest Business Post/Red C poll suggests that Irish politics is now poised for a further shift away from what was once called ‘civil war politics’

Joe McHugh: ‘It was such a novelty, waking up every morning and hanging out with my family’

Joe McHugh has spent 20 years as a politician at the forefront of Fine Gael, including a stint as minister for education, but a health scare and a change of pace during Covid-19 that allowed him spend more time with his family has persuaded him that a new career could be in order

State may cut number of reasons employers can give for refusing remote work requests

The remote working bill has proved controversial with unions, partly because it gives businesses 13 grounds on which to refuse a worker’s remote work request

Trading carefully: As the world cuts ties with Russia, should Ireland be taking a firmer line with other rogue nations?

The government acted swiftly and forcefully after Russia invaded Ukraine, but Ireland continues to develop trade links with countries like Saudi Arabia and China, which stand accused of grave human rights abuses. Experts say it’s time we started to question this approach, but any change would have major economic consequences

Sinn Féin records highest ever level of support in a Red C poll

Mary Lou McDonald’s party is benefiting from the cost of living crisis, and the recent controversy over plans to ban the sale of turf in urban areas, registering its highest ever rating in a Red C poll, while Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil remain well behind

Fine Gael hopes for quick DPP decision on Varadkar leak file

The Tánaiste said he is very confident the outcome will be in his favour’ but TDs are concerned off political fallout

Government plans new push on €252k consultants contract

‘Revised’ proposal to be presented to medics is based on same salary for public-only contracts as last year

Fine Gael drops to new low of 19% as its core support feels the pinch

Leo Varadkar’s party is losing support among the ‘squeezed middle’ as the cost of living crisis begins to bite