Micheál Martin | Business Post

Micheál Martin says Taoiseach’s apology for Clinton-Lewinksy joke is ‘end of the matter’

Leo Varadkar made reference to Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky during a speech in Washington on Thursday

Strong labour market should ‘absorb’ any job cuts at Meta, Micheál Martin says

Tánaiste says Irish firms are still reporting strong demand for staff and calls for perspective around scale of job losses given scale of hiring in technology sector over recent years

Martin’s momentum: the future of FF and the leader who has defied the rebels’ predictions

Fianna Fáil members are thinking about new leadership for the next election and potential off-ramps for Micheál Martin, but it’s hard to agitate against someone as personally popular as the current leader

Confirmed: EU and UK strike deal on Northern Ireland protocol

An agreement marks the end of a three-year ordeal since Britain officially left the EU in 2020

Northern Ireland

Bertie Ahern condemns Omagh shooting of police officer as ‘shocking’ and ‘callous’

PSNI Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell was shot in front of his own son in Omagh, Co. Tyrone on Wednesday evening

Northern Ireland

EU ‘very conscious’ of unionist concerns on North protocol – Tánaiste

Micheál Martin spoke of the challenges around securing a deal on the protocol as speculation grows that an agreement is close

Cost Of Living Crisis

Government to expand energy support scheme for businesses

Business Energy Support Scheme to be tweaked after low take-up; no new €200 electricity bill credits for households for now; and the Vat rate for the hospitality sector expected to increase from 9 per cent to 13.5 per cent

EU ‘very conscious’ of unionist concerns as Northern Ireland protocol deal moves closer

Micheál Martin was speaking to the Business Post as Rishi Sunak, the British Prime Minister, travelled to Belfast to meet with Northern Ireland parties

Ireland pledges €2m in emergency earthquake support for Turkey and Syria

Micheál Martin said the people of Ireland are shocked by the loss of life and devastation

All in a year’s work: political highs, lows, breakthrough and boo-boos

The housing shortage remains top of the political agenda at the end of a remarkable year in which Sinn Féin enjoyed record polls

Even Sinn Féin applaud Martin as armband is passed to Varadkar

What was once unthinkable – the orderly handover of the positions of Taoiseach and Tánaiste between two parties with a historic and often bitter rivalry – has come to pass

Varadkar pledges action on homelessness and housing

Fine Gael leader says government will go ‘all out’ to accelerate its housing plan as he is elected Taoiseach for the second time

Government report card: How has the coalition rated on the big issues?

At its halfway point in office, the coalition has fared well on the economy and refugee crisis, but its performance on health and housing needs to improve, while it promised a lot on climate, but has yet to really deliver

New ministers to be revealed as Varadkar takes reins of power

Áras an Uachtaráin will be the first stop in a carefully choreographed handover of the role of Taoiseach today

Fianna Fáil aims to grow back its grassroots by claiming the middle ground

As Fianna Fáil heads into the second half of the government term, now without its Taoiseach, the party will be focusing on highlighting its achievements to the public and positioning itself as a middle ground alternative to Fine Gael and Sinn Féin

Second chance: has Varadkar learned from his mistakes?

Leo Varadkar may have picked up a few tips from Micheál Martin on what he could do better as Taoiseach this time around, but he’s taking over the reins at a time when both the country and his party face multiple headaches

Up for debate: The best from the Business Post’s columnists

Insightful analysis of the main developments in business and politics from our team of writers, including Elaine Byrne, Vincent Boland and Ian Guider

Martin to avoid ruffling any feathers in cabinet reshuffle

Sources say Taoiseach will play it safe and maintain status quo, while Donohoe and McGrath are likely to swap portfolios

Elaine Byrne: Micheál Martin was a good Taoiseach, but not a great Taoiseach

The outgoing Taoiseach kept a historic coalition together and oversaw one of the best vaccine rollouts in the world, but the pandemic stalled his focus on the major priority policy areas

Analysis: Fine Gael avoids petty row over delay in Taoiseach change

Leo Varadkar will become Taoiseach on December 17, two days later than expected