Politics

Constituency boundaries would probably be declared unconstitutional if challenged, but only after publication of official census. By Vincent Browne

Emily O'Reilly, Ombudsman, is to commence a new investigation into the conduct of junior minister Frank Fahey, who is already struggling in a sea of controversy. By Frank Connolly

The family of the late Neil T Blaney is divided over the proposal to merge Independent Fianna Fáil with the main party. By Frank Connolly

The Government has been shaken by a traumatic three months, but the opposition has failed to capitalise. By Vincent Browne, Emma Browne and Colin Murphy

The ESB has claimed it is losing €15,000 each day it is prevented from accessing land at Bantry in west Cork by a group of farmers protesting against the erection of a 38kv power line. The Bantry Concerned Action Group (BCAG), representing more than 20 landowners along the route of the proposed power line, have insisted it will continue its blockade until the ESB agrees to run the power line under the ground.

Bertie Ahern rounded on some of his backbenchers at Tuesday's Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting for distracting from the internal squabble within the Progressive Democrats with their proposal for an independent policy committee.

Catherine Butler, Charles Haughey's personal adviser and assistant from 1981 to 1992 concludes her memoir

Joe Higgins caught the mood of despondency within the government in his remarks in the Dáil on Tuesday 27 June. He referred to headlines in that morning's newspapers about the negligible tax being paid by the wealthiest in society, and the revelation that we have one of the worst health services in Europe. He said: "The government has wasted the fruits of the boom. This is the key issue. It slashes taxes on the super-rich, but social and educational infrastructure in areas of booming population increases is stunningly absent.

The super-trawler Atlantic Dawn was allowed to fish off the west African coast, while other EU vessels were curtailed. By Max McGuinness

A number of leading Sinn Féin activists in Dublin have left the party to establish a "Socialist Republican campaign group" called Éirigí. The new group, launched last month with a "Reclaim the Republic" campaign, includes Stewart Reddin, former Dublin Sinn Féin organiser; Joanne McDonald, the sister of Mary Lou McDonald, the party's Dublin MEP; and Brian Leeson, a former party organiser. Éirigí translates from Irish as "arise" or "rise up".