At least four candidates declared food and drink expenses for campaign workers. This included over €700 for various bars and restaurants across Dublin from one candidate. Some told our team they paid for these expenses out of their own pocket. www.thejournal.ie/investigates...

ChatGPT, an Apple laptop and a €400 bar tab – these are just some of the more unusual election expenses listed on candidates’ returns after the general election. Others spent hundreds on branded clothing, car wraps and keyrings in a bid to win voters. www.thejournal.ie/investigates...

Brilliant news - our own Conor O'Carroll has won Young Journalist of the Year at the annual Newsbrands Awards!

Thousands of women and girls who have sought asylum in Europe face long delays for FGM medical care and support, our latest cross-border investigation has found.

'When they finished cutting, they tied my legs together for a week so the stitches wouldn’t open'. A young Somalian woman talks to @trishdevlin.bsky.social about becoming a victim of Female Genital Mutilation at 8-years-old, and later seeking protection in Ireland.

Migrant support groups have reported referring up to eight women a month to Ireland’s only female genital mutilation clinic, which The Journal Investigates can reveal has seen a staggering 338% increase in demand. @thejournal.ie

'There are so many young women living in Ireland that have been subjected to FGM, and they are severely mutilated.' The long and painful wait for medical care faced by Female Genital Mutilation survivors after seeking protection in Ireland.

Ireland's sole clinic for treating women and some girls with horrific Female Genital Mutilation injuries has seen a 300% surge in demand for services. Its director tells @trishdevlin.bsky.social the current service is 'neither fair, nor sustainable'. READ: www.thejournal.ie/female-genit...

‘They have been sidelined’ - Journalist Niamh Cavanagh investigates historic trauma at Ireland's mental institutions, and reveals why some families feel a public inquiry is needed into serious allegations of abuse.

'Give them the apology and compensation that they deserve. Because once you went in those doors to those institutions, you didn’t come out the same.' Families of those detained in Irish psychiatric asylums want an inquriy into historical allegations of abuse.

Allegations of neglect, forced labour and isolation. Journalist Niamh Cavanagh looks into alleged historical abuse in Ireland’s shuttered state-run psychiatric asylums from the 1950s to the early 2000s. Read:

“Parties and candidates are going to play by the rules.” Meta and Google have banned political advertising on their platforms in response to new EU transparency rules. Experts say it will make the job of 'bad actors' easier to influence elections. jrnl.ie/6851352

Social media giants Meta and Google banned political ads from their platforms right in the middle of the presidential election. Experts say this change will leave our elections susceptible to 'bad actors' and those who know how to game the algorithm. jrnl.ie/6851352

Political parties and candidates spent almost €700,000 on social media ads during the last general election campaign. Fine Gael, the only party not to clearly label their social media spending, spent a further €316,000 on ‘digital advertising’. jrnl.ie/6851352

At least €1 million was spent on social media and digital advertising during the last general election campaign. But a recent political ad ban by social media companies actually leaves our elections more susceptible to 'bad actors', experts say. jrnl.ie/6851352

If you’re thinking about running for a Dáil seat at the next general election, you might want to start saving. The Journal Investigates can reveal that a successful campaign can, on average, cost more than €20,000. @thejournal.ie

People Before Profit – Solidarity’s Ruth Coppinger spent the most money of any candidate elected at the last general election – a massive €46,186. While Sinn Féin's Dessie Ellis retained his seat by spending just €4,807 - the lowest of any elected candidate. jrnl.ie/6845119

Reporter @conorocarroll.bsky.social explains how our team examined more than 500 election expense returns to uncover how much you might have to spend to secure a Dáil seat. Read the full investigation: jrnl.ie/6845119

At least €9.2 million was spent by candidates and political parties during the last election. Our team analysed 528 election expense forms returned by candidates. Those lucky enough to win a seat in the Dáil spent an average of €20,490 on their campaign. jrnl.ie/6845119

Alongside political savvy, well-crafted policies and trust from the public, it takes a substantial sum of money to be elected as a TD. Our latest investigation finds that it costs over €20,000 to run a successful campaign. jrnl.ie/6845119

If you're thinking about running for a Dáil seat at the next general election, you might want to start saving. Our latest investigation reveals that it costs, on average, over €20,000 between candidate and party spending to run a successful campaign.

INVESTIGATION: How 'Big Alcohol' weaponised trade threats, leveraged Brussels bureaucracy and used scientific conclusions that have been criticised to downplay alcohol’s cancer risks over Ireland's plans to put cancer warnings on alcoholic drinks.

Alcohol industry correspondence, briefing notes and lobbying disclosures reveal a transatlantic strategy to thwart Ireland’s public health plans over placing cancer warning labels on alcohol. Read our cross border investigation here:

New documents reveal how alcohol giants pressured the Irish government into delaying landmark cancer warnings. www.thejournal.ie/alcohol-lobb...

"I can’t afford to pick my kids up early as my funding will be reduced." One parent told our team she sits outside her childcare provider because picking her kids up early would see her National Childcare Subsidy cut. jrnl.ie/6840826

"We basically pay two mortgages at the moment.” When one parent enrolled their child in an early intervention ASD class, they looked to cut childcare hours. But their provider insisted they pay for a full-time spot, despite only needing half the hours. jrnl.ie/6840826

Parents told our team about their experiences with the cost of childcare. They spoke of immense financial pressure, sometimes having to ask family for help, and having to take time off work. jrnl.ie/6840826

Rising childcare fees has become a hot-button political issue, with many parents struggling to keep up with costs. Readers contacted us from across the country about their experiences with the cost of childcare. These are their stories jrnl.ie/6840826

The amount of income Irish parents must spend on childcare is almost double the OECD average. So how does the rest of Europe compare? Our investigation found that childcare costs in other European countries are significantly cheaper. jrnl.ie/6831936

Have your childcare fees increased? We want to hear your stories. Have your childcare fees increased? Has your provider left Core Funding? Are you able to afford the fee increases? What impact did this have on you and your family? Tell us your stories: http://jrnl.ie/6831085

“If I left my business hat on…you’ll do financially far better if you aim for a low standard”. One provider that left Core Funding told us there aren’t any funding incentives to provide a good service. They increased fees by €490 a month this year. http://jrnl.ie/6831058

Reporter @conorocarroll.bsky.social explains how childcare providers abandoning the government's Core Funding scheme is leaving families faced with fee increases of €300-400 a month this year. Read more: http://jrnl.ie/6831058

Have your childcare fees increased? We want to hear your stories. Have your childcare fees increased? Has your provider left Core Funding? Are you able to afford the fee increases? What impact did this have on you and your family? Tell us your stories: http://jrnl.ie/6831085

Over 50 Childcare providers have left the government’s Core Funding scheme in the last few years. By leaving the scheme, providers are free to increase their fees substantially, with some parents being hit with €300-400 a month increases this year. http://jrnl.ie/6831058

Parents face huge fee increases as over 50 childcare providers withdraw from government Core Funding scheme. The scheme aims to increase childcare affordability but some providers who have left are pushing up their prices by over €300 a month. http://jrnl.ie/6831058

Coming just after midnight, a new investigation for @investigates.thejournal.ie looking at soaring childcare fees. One provider in Dublin increased full-time fees from €190 to €300 a week after leaving the government's Core Funding scheme ahead of the new school year. Out soon on thejournal.ie

It's a year since we launched The Journal Investigates! We have: 🕵️‍♀️ Produced 28 major investigations 🏛️ Sparked debate 12 times in the Oireachtas 🎙️ Spoken on radio over 125 times Read just how impactful our work has been, thanks to your ongoing support: http://jrnl.ie/6808070

It's a year since we launched The Journal Investigates! Since last September, our team produced 28 major investigations, consistently exposing injustice and driving change. Find out more about our work – only made possible thanks to your ongoing support: jrnl.ie/6808070

The new Mental Health Bill passed its final stage in the Dáil in July and is before the Seanad this afternoon But a mental health policy expert has warned it is ‘not meeting bar’ with safeguarding patients http://jrnl.ie/6823407

The number of people looking for help to quit vaping is on the rise. But the services the HSE funds to help people quit smoking aren't available to them due to funding and capacity issues, something Labour TD Marie Sherlock called "alarming". http://jrnl.ie/6824282

"This bill has no statutory right to advocacy and no independent complaints mechanism within it" A mental health policy expert has warned that the long-awaited Mental Health Amendment Bill has moved further away from human rights principles http://jrnl.ie/6823407

People looking to quit vaping are being turned away from HSE-funded smoking cessation services due to a lack of capacity and funding for a dedicated vaping service. At the same time, the number of people looking for support to quit vaping is on the rise. http://jrnl.ie/6824282

Healthcare workers' experiences of racism show 'the government’s response abuse and attacks is not keeping pace' with the increase in abuse and attacks, trade union leader says. http://www.thejournal.ie/racist-attacks-ireland-6817334-Sep2025/

'Racism has got more aggressive, more obvious and more brazen' in Ireland, with anti-race the single most discriminatory motive in hate crimes here. Read our latest investigation: http://www.thejournal.ie/racist-attacks-ireland-6817334-Sep2025/

Around one in three hate incidents reported to gardaí are racially motivated, analysis by @trishdevlin.bsky.social has found. http://www.thejournal.ie/racist-attacks-ireland-6817334-Sep2025/

AerCap partnered with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) back in 2019 to convert Boeing 777-300 passenger planes to cargo planes. IAI has close ties with the Israeli Defence Forces and supplies equipment, including drones, for use in the war in Gaza. http://jrnl.ie/6814840

AerCap partnered with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) back in 2019 to convert Boeing 777-300 passenger planes to cargo planes. IAI has close ties with the Israeli Defence Forces and supplies equipment, including drones, for use in the war in Gaza. http://jrnl.ie/6814840

An Irish-based aircraft leasing company is to buy 20 new cargo planes from an Israeli aviation and defence company with ties to the war in Gaza. Israel Aerospace Industries, which is converting the plane, has close ties with the Israeli Defence Forces. http://jrnl.ie/6814840

Coming up just after midnight, @conorocarroll.bsky.social reports on an Irish-based aircraft leasing company buying cargo planes from an Israeli weapons supplier with close ties with the Israeli Defence Forces and the war in Gaza.

Councils receive an estimated €62.5m each year from data centre operators as part of their collection of commercial rates, based on this year’s calculations. Experts have warned this dependency is 'privatisation by stealth'. http://jrnl.ie/6796749