The Irish Tax Revenue were forced to close one of their busiest offices in Dublin on Thursday, due to an occupation by protesters.

Irish Minister of State Dinny McGinley will urgently ask Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Eamon Gilmore for a comprehensive explanation of the actions of the Irish International Immigration Center (IIIC) in Boston, after it was revealed that they turned in an Irish student visa holder to U.S. authorities who were unaware of an alleged violation of her visa.

The Federation of Irish Societies (FIS), a charitable company that draws together Irish clubs and societies in Britain, is calling on the Constitutional Convention meeting in Dublin today to back their demand for the Irish in Britain to get a vote in Irish elections and referenda.

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan has come to an agreement with US businessman Gregg Bemis to allow an investigation at the site of the RMS Lusitania wreckage 13 miles off the coast of Cork.

The Irish Times reports that Minister Deenihan has endorsed plans to begin a broad set of exploration objectives with US businessman Gregg Bemis, who owns the rights to the wreck.

While the PSNI has begun making plans to subpoena the Boston College ‘Belfast Project’ interview tapes, some are fearful that the exposure of the tapes could bring down Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams and, in turn, the peace process in Northern Ireland.

The Irish government will seek to allow abortion in limited circumstances in Ireland when the life of the mother is in danger or when she is suicidal. However, the bill does not include rape or incest among the reasons for allowing an abortion.

New legislation would grant amnesty to former Irish troops who deserted and fought with the Allies during World War II. Upon their return home, these troops were called deserters and blacklisted.

Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny said on Tuesday that, although he couldn’t be definite, he was confident the government would have abortion legislation enacted before the summer recess.

The Council of Europe has warned that Ireland needs to take action on discrimination against the Travelling community in the workplace – and wants Travellers recognized as an ethnic minority.

The Votes for Irish Citizens Abroad (VICA), founded by a group of Irish in London, is campaigning to give Irish citizens abroad the right to vote for the Dáil (Irish government). This week the campaigning group has submitted two papers to the Constitutional Convention.

On the International Day for Monuments and Sites, the Heritage Council has called out the Irish Government for an unfair division of the declining funds to protect tangible history in Ireland.  In 2008, there were 20 million euros for the protection and repairs of historic sites and monuments in Ireland compared to 5.7 million euros today. 

The bipartisan Senate panel on immigration reform, nicknamed the ‘Gang of Eight,’ has put forth their proposals for immigration reform. The Irish government, who will see many of its citizens affected by the potential reforms, praised the panel’s proposals.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Dan Rooney has revealed that his boss Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sometimes clashed with the Irish government on issues she wanted them to agree with her on but they did not.

Action hero Tom Cruise, famed for his horrific Irish accent in the 1992 movie “Far and Away.” is set to be presented with a scroll by the Irish government to honor his Irish roots. The Hollywood star, who traces his roots to County Roscommon, will be travelling to Ireland to promote his new movie “Oblivion.”

The government is preparing measures, including setting minimum pricing, to tackle alcohol abuse.  A major study of how much alcohol Irish people consume is already underway. The report will determine how often they go to the pub and with whom they drink.

The Irish government has relaunched their genealogy website, which offers visitors a new portal that includes historical records from multiple sites. It is a major breakthrough in bringing together all genealogy sources in one site.

It was confirmed earlier this week that 16 of Ireland’s ministers will be heading abroad for St. Patrick’s Day to promote the message that “Now is the time to invest in Ireland’s recovery.”

Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure, Carál Ní Chuilín MLA has launched Seachtain na Gaeilge 2013 (Week of Irish 2013) in the North at a special ceremony in Stormont. Líofa 2015, a project of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure to encourage people to learn Irish, will be promoted as part of the festival.