West Cork
No drugs found as naval divers complete search of bay at centre of cocaine smuggling probe
Ten men – understood to be Irish, Serbian, Spanish and Dutch – were arrested by specialist gardaí near Skibbereen last Thursday.
As it happened
Fine Gael
Govt insists election not needed in wake of Varadkar resignation
“After seven years in office, I am no longer the best person for that job,” Leo Varadkar said today.
Varadkar’s resignation as Fine Gael leader is effective immediately, but he will stay on as Taoiseach until his successor is elected by the party
A general election is not likely to be called, despite mounting pressure from the opposition
Fine Gael is expected to elect a new leader before the party's Ard Fheis on 6 April
the morning lead
'A slap in the face': Mother and baby home survivors told they need photo ID to apply for redress
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said applicants who don’t have photo ID will be “treated empathetically and on a case-by-case basis”.
The Government's long-awaited redress scheme finally opens for applications today
Many elderly survivors do not have a passport, driving licence or Public Service Card
One man was told his mother cannot apply without photo ID, but he could apply on her behalf if she died
Resignation
'I am no longer the best person for that job': Varadkar's emotional resignation speech, in full
“I have nothing else lined up or in mind,” the Taoiseach said.
Courts
Limerick hurler Kyle Hayes receives fully suspended sentences for violent disorder offences
Hayes has also been ordered to pay the victim €10,000 in compensation for injuries and loss of earnings due to these injuries.
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MEPs
Barry Andrews: Watch as Russia interferes with European politics ahead of the elections
Barry Andrews
SF in America
Sinn Féin's reserved public remarks on Gaza while in US leave the party wide open for criticism
It’s a rarity that Varadkar comes out looking stronger on the issue of Palestine than Sinn Féin.
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