Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill weighs in on the Donegal Cancer Flights issue. Side stepping the question, she says the bigger issue is why patients have to travel to Dublin in the first place. @thejournal.ie

The government is pausing the controversial review into how Special Needs Assistants are allocated after major backlash. jrnl.ie/6959606

Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins is not happy with the quality of Hot School Meals. “This is absolutely diabolical of the highest order. “…And God, you'd want a very strong stomach, to be a very strong human being to put that in you,” he says.

On reports today that Councils tried to zone close to 300 sites prone to flooding for development over the last 6 years, SocDems climate spokesperson Jennifer Whitmore says: “we need to just stop doing stupid things when it comes to planning.”

TD Ruth Coppinger is calling on the FAI to boycott the upcoming fixtures against Israel. “To say that there isn't a connection between sport and politics, is never the case in reality,” she says. @thejournal.ie

"An outstanding bench warrant does not make the punishment he is receiving now justified in any way, shape or form," TD Duncan Smith said. jrnl.ie/6956219t

"My experience of this entire process has completely and utterly brought me to my knees," former garda Margaret Loftus has said in relation to her experience of the justice system. Last month, her ex-husband received a three-month suspended sentence for assaulting her in 2012. jrnl.ie/6953461t

Hundred of patients died by suspected suicide shortly after being in contact with healthcare services in Ireland, @investigates.thejournal.ie can reveal. jrnl.ie/6929274

After years of being left in limbo, residents in North County Dublin who have watched their properties be slowly eaten by the sea have today received the welcome news that works will begin this week to save their homes. jrnl.ie/6951718t

University College Dublin is coming under pressure to revoke an award it gave to renowned linguist Noam Chomsky, following fresh details of his friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. jrnl.ie/6949693t

"I'll put my hand in a bin to feed my child." "What is the alternative, begging? That would be more degrading to me." "We do this to keep ourselves going." People who collect bottles and cans from bins and on the street in Dublin share their stories. jrnl.ie/6947770t

While journalists were invited to film President Connolly’s arrival at Stormont, along with a speech at Ulster University this afternoon, no other access to the President was permitted, and only limited information about her engagements was provided ahead of time. jrnl.ie/6946893t

It’s not just keepie uppies President Connolly is skilled at apparently. 📍 Queens University where she joined the PeacePlayers basketball team on the court.

President Catherine Connolly is greeted at Stormont Castle by First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly. It marks the beginning of her first official visit to Northern Ireland.

The Government plans to introduce regulations making it mandatory for users of e-bikes and e-scooters to wear helmets and high-visibility clothing. jrnl.ie/6945841t

In Belfast today covering President Connolly's first official State visit to Northern Ireland

This year's St Patrick's Day programme is the biggest in the history of the State - but how exactly is it all decided? jrnl.ie/6942042t

Here's what you need to know after tonight's emergency meeting of EU leaders has wrapped up. jrnl.ie/6935694t

Arriving at the emergency EU leaders summit in Brussels this evening, Taoiseach Micheál Martin welcomed Trump’s tariff climb down but said it has been a “challenging few weeks” in relation to “the Greenland situation”. @thejournal.ie

The words on the lips of most of the political press officers The Journal spoke to about their parties use of X: “it is being kept under review”. www.thejournal.ie/x-grok-irish...

“Most of the victims are thought to have been younger than 30…a female fashion designer of 23, three young footballers…a champion basketball player of 21, a fledgling movie director and a student…whose first protest was his last.” www.thetimes.com/world/middle...

This week on The Candidate, we unpack the political response to Grok, the muddled messaging, and the question Ireland keeps avoiding: how do you regulate powerful tech firms when the State also relies on them? Listen now wherever you get your podcasts pod.link/1439226641/e...

Minister of State for AI Niamh Smyth tells the Dáil she is meeting with representatives from X tomorrow.

Elon Musk just been labelled a 'creepy little slimeball' in the Dáil by Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon.

The Government has pushed out the introduction of planned new powers for the Agri-Food Regulator by a year. jrnl.ie/6926315t

Sinn Féin's Matt Carthy has defended his party's attendance of ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro's inauguration in 2019. 'It was in 2019, so obviously, circumstances were very different,' he said today jrnl.ie/6925381

After arguing last week that X is not responsible for the child sexual abuse images being generated by Grok, Minister Patrick O Donovan claims his comments were taken out of context. @thejournal.ie

Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy defends his party’s decision to attend the inauguration of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in 2019. He says the “circumstances were very different” back then and that his party won’t take lectures from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael on the matter.

Independent Ireland focusing on the Mercosur-EU trade deal this morning. Say they will be appealing to Ireland’s 14 MEPs to vote against the deal when it reaches the EU Parliament. They say last weekend’s protest in Athlone against the deal was about food safety, not farming.

Asked why he believes Minister for Communications and Media Patrick O’Donovan is afraid to tackle X head on, Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan responded: “I don't know what the story is with him, to be honest with you.”

Labour Senator Laura Harmon says the Government should consider banning social media platform X entirely in Ireland in response to the ‘undressing’ scandal. “If there was a factory created down the road this morning that was producing these kind of images, it would be shut down immediately.”

For outside observers, the abuse that elected representatives get online can be seen as almost part and parcel of the role, but some Irish politicians are keen to stress that this should not be the case. jrnl.ie/6922120t

🚨 AI Minister Niamh Smyth says it isn't appropriate for the Government to maintain a presence on X and will speak to the Taoiseach on the matter. Says the European Commission should immediately suspend Grok while investigations are continuing. More on @virginmedianews.bsky.social

Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke has denied that the Government is running scared of the US tech firm. jrnl.ie/6920210t

The State is on track to reduce the country's greenhouse gas emissions by just half of what was promised. Minister for the Environment Darragh O'Brien has admitted the target will be missed, and it could result in Ireland being fined up to €28 billion by the EU. jrnl.ie/6920248

This was Peter Burke and Alan Dillon’s response when asked if they will personally join other politicians leaving X over the latest scandal. (Short answer: no) @thejournal.ie

On child safety & X, Enterprise Minister Peter Burke says “no matter what” revenues raised through corp. tax, our future generations are the “most important prized possession that we have”. Asked if he will arrange to meet with senior executives at X to discuss concerns, he said not at this point.

Asked at what point he would personally stop using the platform X, Tánaiste Simon Harris said it was “an interesting question” and one he would have to “more broadly reflect on”.

The Regional Independents' leader spoke to The Journal about how things are going since this Government's rocky beginning. jrnl.ie/6914368t

Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins caught up with The Journal about how his party is getting on two years after its formation. jrnl.ie/6908648t

Ahead of the Dublin Central by-election, Mary Lou McDonald said the large vote for Hutch last year was an ‘F you’ to government - but not Sinn Féin. Read the full interview here. jrnl.ie/6910899t

Government abandons plan to disband RSA in surprise U-turn jrnl.ie/6905514t

Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman says the EU’s move to abandon plans to introduce a ban on new petrol and diesel cars from 2035 is bad news for consumers, European industry and the environment. He says the big winners here are The Chinese companies who are selling into the EU market.

Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman says Fianna Fáil’s internal drama is now becoming the “Christmas panto that nobody asked for”. Says it needs to be resolved this week so the government can get back to governing. @thejournal.ie

A special Fianna Fáil parliamentary meeting has been scheduled for tonight to discuss the review into its presidential election. It comes as the Taoiseach says he is 'absolutely' confident his leadership is safe after reading the review jrnl.ie/6904862

This week on The Journal's politics podcast: A video aimed at young people moving back in with their parents, shared by the Department of Housing, was meant to be helpful... but it didn't land like that. At all. Listen now pod.link/1439226641/e...

Gareth Sheridan, the millionaire and former presidential hopeful, has said photos he posted with Russell Brand and Candace Owens last week were taken at a Christmas party hosted by Tucker Carlson, which was "not a political event". jrnl.ie/6898975t

The Minister for Housing has said he believes it was “misconceived” for his department to share a video on social media offering advice to young people who are moving back in with their parents. jrnl.ie/6898211

Asked about the drones last week in Irish airspace during Zelenskyy’s visit, President of the European Council António Costa has said Russia was responsible and that it was “another example of the hybrid attacks from Russia”.