It was another in a long litany of failures and double standards by the State. A paedophile who was a serial abuser of boys was able to prey on his young victims in plain sight. The failure to bring him to justice and to protect children from Bill Kenneally is the subject of a damning report by Judge Michael White, who chaired the Commission of Investigation and examined the response by the Garda and the South Eastern Health Board to a report in 1987 that Kenneally – a member of a prominent Fianna Fáil political family in Waterford – was abusing pubescent boys.And his activities were known. A young boy walked into a Garda station to report his abuse in 1985. Two senior gardaí began inquiries. Kenneally’s uncles, a politician who was once a TD, and a priest, were informed. A report warning that the admitted paedophile could offend again was somehow lost in the system and was never seen by senior social workers. Even by the standards of the 1980s, it amounted to a “a clear and serious dereliction of duty”, the commission found. Barry Roche and Ellen Coyne have led our coverage of this deeply shocking report. They report that the Taoiseach will formally apologise on behalf of the State in the Dáil. Unfortunately for the victims, it happens four decades after the abuse occurred and a decade after Kenneally was finally brought to justice. His cousin, the former Fianna Fáil TD for Waterford Brendan Kenneally, learned about his abuse in 2001 but did not report him to any of the authorities. Instead, he referred him to a psychiatrist. The lack of actions “fell substantially below the standards” expected of a TD of Kenneally’s experience, the commission found. Bill Kenneally continued to canvas for Brendan Kenneally at elections and to assist in the tally at election counts until 2011, although the TD knew that he was an abuser. Belfast stabbing leads to disorderA man is set to appear in court today charged with attempted murder over a stabbing attack in Belfast.As Freya McClements and Seanín Graham report, there was serious rioting and violence in Belfast on Tuesday night in the wake of the incident. “People were forced to flee their homes and multiple cars and homes were set alight in the disorder on Tuesday.”Politicians from all parties condemned the violence. The victim of Monday’s knife attack, a man aged in his 40s, remains in a serious condition in hospital with eye, face and back wounds.Rotunda public consultants discontinue private workEight private patients at the Rotunda will switch from the care of public-only consultants to the care of other consultants following the maternity hospital’s acceptance that those on public contracts cannot take on private work within the hospital.Ellen Coyne reports on the latest developments after the Rotunda acquiesced to Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill’s demand that those consultants honour their contracts. Ellen reports: “The Rotunda and the National Maternity Hospital have said they are still seeking a carveout from public health policy that would allow private care to continue in maternity hospitals. The Coombe declined to comment. Private maternity care will eventually end as obstetricians retire and new consultants are automatically offered public-only consultant contracts.”Israel soccer match and Occupied Territories Bill It has been a week where clear ideological demarcations are being drawn between Government and Opposition parties over Israel and the triple lock. The Stop the Game campaign is putting pressure on the Government to get the FAI to abandon its Nations League home fixture with Israel and has been supported by most Opposition parties. A Sinn Féin motion calling for the matches against Israel not to go ahead was debated on Tuesday evening.A similar motion tabled by the Social Democrats will be debated today. The Government has insisted it has no role.Meanwhile, eight years after it was first published as a Private Members’ Bill, the Occupied Territories Bill will finally be debated at second stage in the Dáil this afternoon. The legislation will be castigated by the Opposition for being too thin and too late because it proposes a ban only on goods and not on services. Government defends Aughinish Alumina at EU levelJack Power and Cormac McQuinn report that the Government is fighting a rearguard action inside the European Union to head off fresh pressure to levy economic sanctions on Aughinish Alumina, following a push by Estonia to cut off the Co Limerick plant’s exports to Russia.Irish officials have made representations in Brussels to underline the Government’s position that sanctioning the Irish plant would disrupt the supply of key raw materials to European industry.Margus Tsahkna, Estonia’s minister for foreign affairs, confirmed the Baltic country had argued for EU-level sanctions to choke off the supply of alumina from Europe to Russia – in effect a call to target the Irish plant owned by Russian metals giant Rusal.Best ReadsMiriam Lord writes about the Dáil circus with the deftness of a ringmaster cracking her whip. She writes: “And now here’s the Taoiseach talking about the circus.‘Some might say I learned a few tricks myself through that experience,’ he smiled, thinking of his childhood days watching clowns in Cork.”Kathy Sheridan draws on the birth of her grandchild in her examination of the debate between public and private care. In advance of Canadian prime minister Mark Carney’s visit to Ireland, Áine Ryan has been to Mayo to visit his relatives. She has found some fascinating back history, including his physical resemblance to his relatives. Michael McDowell is dead set against any referendum to increase the size of the Cabinet. PlaybookTaoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Simon Harris and Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntree will this afternoon unveil the Irish policy programme for its presidency of the EU that begins on July 1st. The Labour Party whip has said he intends to propose a ban or severe restrictions of the use of Artificial Intelligence for parliamentary questions. Duncan Smith said on Tuesday he intends to raise the practice of some TDs using AI to formulate written questions they put to Ministers on a daily and weekly basis. He will suggest putting an upper limit on the number of questions that can be asked. The Irish Times reported at the weekend that one TD, Ken O’Flynn of Independent Ireland, was responsible for about 10 per cent of all questions asked by the 140 or so TDs who are not Ministers. Dáil Éireann9am: Topical Issues10am: Private Members’ Business (Social Democrats): Motion re Exclusion of Israel from sporting fixtures12pm: Leaders’ Questions 12.34pm: Other Members’ Questions1.12pm: Bills for Introduction: Prohibition of Sulky-Racing Bill 2026 – First Stage2.17pm: Statements on Tourism4:42pm: Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2026 – Second Stage8.16pm: Criminal Law, Civil Law and Defence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 – Motion to Instruct the Committee9.16pm Criminal Law, Civil Law and Defence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 – Report and Final Stages10.46pm: Media Regulation Bill 2026 – Report and Final Stages11.46pm: Air Pollution (Amendment) Bill 2025 – Report and Final Stages12.46am: Deferred Divisions1.16am: Dáil adjournsSeanad Éireann10.30am: Commencement Matters11.30am: Order of Business1.00pm: An Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) (Amendment) Bill 2025 – Committee Stage3pm: Statements on Rural Planning5pm: Air Navigation and Transport (Amendment) Bill 2026 – Second Stage7pm: An Garda Síochána (Powers) Bill 2026 10pm: Seanad adjournsCommitteesThe Joint Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development will hear from disability representatives and about demographic changes and its impact on rural and urban GAA clubs and communities.The health committee will discuss health strategy in relation to the ageing populationand the transport committee hears from Irish Rail.The arts and media committee will hear from representative bodies about an increase to the broadcast levy while the committee on defence hears about “building national resilience” in the context of Ireland’s EU presidency. See the full committee schedule.