Lobbyists looking to deregulate Ireland's housing market so homeowners can build de facto sheds in their gardens without planning permission were offered a meeting with senior government advisers less than 24 hours after sending an introductory email to Micheál Martin.

Internal documents from a lobbying group representing international arms manufacturers reveal plans to target politicians, influence policymakers, and place articles in the media – despite acknowledging the Irish public is not interested in greater spending on arms.

The alleged garda informant who killed law student Shane O’Farrell was convicted of cigarette smuggling in 2007 – The Ditch can reveal – despite previous state probes of the case wrongly finding his first conviction was for theft in 2010.

An Garda Síochána concealed a conviction of a suspected garda informant – received months before he killed cyclist Shane O’Farrell in 2011 – which contradicts the state’s version of the tragic case.

Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) won’t confirm if its doctors complied with a legal obligation to refer the spinal and hip surgery scandals to Tusla.