Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have rejected suggestions that the Coalition leaders have failed when it comes to ensuring gender equality in their ministerial appointments.

On the Fianna Fáil side, Niamh Smyth is expected to be appointed as a Minister of State in the Department of Enterprise, while Jennifer Murnane O’Connor was likely to be made a junior minister in the Department of Health, alongside Mary Butler, the chief whip whose appointment was announced last week.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael members have voted to ratify the draft Programme for Government that will see both parties form a coalition government

Fianna Fáil has ratified the Programme for Government at a special Ard Fheis in Dublin. 812 members voted in favour of going back into Government to 62 against. The Fianna Fáil leader hit out at the negativity in some quarters around the formation of the incoming government.

A spokesman for Tánaiste Simon Harris said that Fine Gael had 10 women out of 38 TDs elected, and 40 per cent – four women – had been appointed Ministers. There is considerable backlash within the Government parties – but particularly within Fianna Fáil – around the number of female appointments to the ranks of Minister of State.

Women junior Ministers were placed in the front row at the Leinster House photocall but it fooled no one, as just six of the 23 appointees are women

Girls basketball Beaumont 65, Cleveland Central Catholic 54 Beaumont: Goske 21, Reavis 19, J. Jones 12, McDonald 5, E. Wolf 4, S. Jones 2, Klug 2 Cleveland Central Catholic: Crawford 26, Dotson 12, Clements 8,

Last week’s chaotic scenes demonstrated that there is an opportunity for Opposition parties to come together and win public support in doing so

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs, Ayman Safadi, held talks on Tuesday with Irish Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Defense Simon Harris,

A look at Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati high school basketball scores and bowling results reported to The Enquirer January 27 to February 2.

The Wolverines earned the extra Big Ten point in a shootout but the Badgers rallied from 3-1 and 4-3 deficits.

Following back-to-back runner-up finishes behind Snider in the Summit Athletic Conference wrestling meet, Bishop Dwenger reclaimed the championship Saturday with a 281.5-260 victory over the Panthers,