The Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is calling for a root and branch review of the 1,100 payments.

PAC recommends moving certain allowances to core pay, consolidating others and redefining an allowance.

The review says the majority go to front-line staff and represent a significant portion of many low-paid workers wages.

The PAC Chairman is John McGuinness of Fianna Fail.

He is also calling for greater transparency in political allowances.

"It would be far better if all of the allowances - or any payment from the State - was actually vouched" he said.

"Then whether you claim 25,000 or 10,000 it's vouched, it's clear, it's transparent, it's understood by the public - and the member is safer in terms of their reputation" he added.

The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has been asked to investigate the death of Savita Halappanavar.

The HSE confirmed it has now asked HIQA to consider a statutory inquiry to examine her death following a miscarraige at University College Hospital in Galway last month.

The Health Service Executive meanwhile says its own investigation must continue with its Chief Executive-Designate Tony O'Brien saying  it would be criminally negligent not to proceed.

Her hospital records are also to be made available to the investigating team.

The office of the Data Protection Commissioner has closed down one of the service providers behind a series of abortion-related automated phonecalls.

2 investigations were launched this morning after a number of complaints were recieved by households who had been contacted.

It is understood the call involves a recorded message playing a series of claims about abortion and invites the householder to press a number for more information.

State Street says it took swift and appropriate disciplinary action after a misappropriation of Irish State funds.

The bank is being accused of fraud and collusion by the Chief Executive of the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA).

John Corrigan says State Street siphoned off €3.2 million from the sale of €4.7 billion in pension fund assets.

Investigations are underway into the incident and the bank says the employees involved no longer work for the company.

The BBC has named its new Director-General.

Tony Hall is currently chief executive of the Royal Opera House but is a former head of BBC News and Current Affairs.

He also launched BBC News Online, Radio 5 Live and BBC News 24.

The appointment follows the departure of George Entwistle earlier this month after just 54 days in the job.