The Taoiseach has described the shooting dead of the two people yesterday as reprehensible.
Enda Kenny told the Dáil that the absolutely brutal treatment and shootings in front of children shows ‘life has become very cheap’.
He has also promised Gardaí whatever assistance needed in tackling such crimes.
The Deputy Garda Commissioner admits there are concerns over possible retaliation for two gangland murders yesterday.
32-year-old Declan O’Reilly was shot dead last night on the South Circular Road in Dublin.
While 27-year-old Gerard Eglington was fatally shot in Portarlington in Co. Laois yesterday morning.
Both of the gun attacks happened in front of children.
4 men and a woman have died in shooting, stabbing and assault incidents in Dublin, Cork, Laois and Sligo since Friday.
Two of the men were killed in gangland style gun attacks yesterday for which Gardai fear there could be retaliations.
Deputy Garda Commissioner Nacie Rice says officers will do their best to thwart any potential retaliatory action.
The Taoiseach has rallied to the defence of his Health Minister who has been accused of stroke politics.
Enda Kenny says the decision by James Reilly to add primary care centres in his own constituency was approved by Cabinet.
The Fianna Fáil leader has demanded an explanation in the Dáil accusing minister Reilly of ‘riding roughshod’ over the selection process.
And Sinn Féin says it is another dent in the credibility of the M inister.
But Enda Kenny says what minister Reilly did was totally above board.
It is a case of ‘we told you so’ from Sinn Féin after a warning on difficult budgets from the Central Bank.
It says if Ireland is to comply with the EU Fiscal Treaty then tough budgets will be needed right up to 2020.
But the Bank does not give any figures on the size of the correction required.
Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary-Lou McDonald.
The number of people attending the opening day of the National Ploughing Championships is down on the 2011 figure.
An estimated 52,000 people turned out for day 1 of the 3-day event in Co. Wexford.
That compares to 71,000 in Co. Kildare last year.
The organisers are apologising to anyone caught up in tailbacks of at least 12 kilometres approaching New Ross from Waterford this morning.
National Ploughing Association spokesperson Anna Marie McHugh is advising motorists to follow the traffic plan in place.
Two Dublin schoolboys have won joint first prize in the EU Young Scientists Award.
Eric Doyle and Mark James Kelly are from Synge Street CBS.
They won with their project simulating how objects respond to gravity in certain environments.
The winning pair were announced in Bratislava today.
They are starting their 3rd-level studies this Autumn.
