Mícheál Lehane

Political Correspondent at RTÉ

Political Correspondent with @rtenews Tweets are my own.

Featured in: Favicon

rte.ie

Articles

Growing political pressure for firm Govt action on Gaza

1 week ago | rte.ie | Mícheál Lehane

All day Wednesday and late into the evening on the street facing Leinster House, demonstrators sang a stinging song urging politicians to find their "backbone" and to enact the Occupied Territories Bill. The same sentiment echoed through the Dáil chamber. Some within the Government bristled over what they believe is a shocking failure to take into account its outspoken voice on Gaza.
Doherty says Govt 'incompetence' putting housing at risk

1 week ago | rte.ie | Mícheál Lehane

Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty has said the Government's incompetence is putting the development of thousands of homes at risk. He said that two senior civil servants have now sounded the alarm around huge infrastructure deficits. There is a lack of capacity in both water services and the electricity grid, Mr Doherty said. "Money is not the problem, so the problem must be the incompetence and decisions made over and over again," he said.
€124k scanner to be operational by end of year

1 week ago | rte.ie | Mícheál Lehane

An x-ray machine purchased in 2017 at a cost of €124,805 will be operational by the end of the year, the National Gallery of Ireland has said. The Dáil Public Accounts Committee will hear this morning that the gallery is very sorry for the length of time it has taken to get the x-ray system up and running.
Two TDs reiterate support for Govt after backing SF bill

1 week ago | rte.ie | Mícheál Lehane

The two Independent TDs who voted against the Government in the Dáil last night have insisted that they will continue to support the Coalition in the time ahead. Barry Heneghan and Gillian Toole backed a Sinn Féin bill that would have prevented the Irish Central Bank from approving the prospectus which allows Israel to sell bonds in the European Union. The Government won the vote by a margin of 87 votes to 75.
Blow for Government as two TDs back SF Israeli bonds bill

1 week ago | rte.ie | Mícheál Lehane

The Government suffered a blow tonight as two of the TDs that have supported it in every vote up to this point backed Sinn Féin's bill to prevent the Central Bank from having any role in the sale of Israel's bonds. It illustrates the depth of feeling over Israel's actions in Gaza which were described by Taoiseach Micheál Martin as genocide. That is the widespread view in the Dáil, and it has put the Government under severe pressure to take further action.
Dobson to chair State Commemorations Advisory Committee

1 week ago | rte.ie | Mícheál Lehane

Former RTÉ News broadcaster Bryan Dobson is to chair the new State Commemorations Advisory Committee. The announcement was made this afternoon by the Minister for Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport, Patrick O'Donovan. The committee is tasked with maintaining an inclusive, respectful, and consensus-based approach to all commemorative matters.
No major increase in housing supply expected

1 week ago | rte.ie | Mícheál Lehane

Minister for Housing James Browne will seek Cabinet approval to allow developers to apply in certain cases for a three-year planning permission extension. The move comes as the ESRI will tell an Oireachtas committee later that it does not expect any major increase in housing supply this year and next year. In its opening statement to the Oireachtas Committee on Housing, the ESRI is forecasting that just over 34,000 homes will be delivered in 2025 and 37,000 in 2026.
No major increase in housing supply expected, ESRI to say

1 week ago | rte.ie | Mícheál Lehane

Minister for Housing James Browne will seek Cabinet approval to allow developers to apply in certain cases for a three-year planning permission extension. The move comes as the ESRI will tell an Oireachtas Committee later that it does not expect any major increase in housing supply this year and next year. In its opening statement to the Oireachtas Committee on Housing, the ESRI is forecasting that just over 34,000 homes will be delivered in 2025 and 37,000 in 2026.
Cabinet not expected to discuss rent pressure zone rules

1 week ago | rte.ie | Mícheál Lehane

Strictly necessary cookies are essential in order to enable you to move around the site, use its features and/or services. Any cookies used in this way are first party only in nature and the data that is collected is fully aggregated. Without these cookies, the Site will not perform as smoothly for you as we would like it to and we may not be able to provide the Site or certain services or features.
Concerns over parliamentary questions raised to Taoiseach

2 weeks ago | rte.ie | Mícheál Lehane

Concern over ministers failing to answer parliamentary questions adequately has been expressed to Taoiseach Micheál Martin and to the top civil servants in Government departments. The Clerk of the Dáil has written to the secretaries general across Government warning them that substantive answers must be provided to questions.