Population growth

In an ideal, almost impossibly functional world, it might have been best if all Irish banks had passed the ECB post-crisis health check.

One of the least attractive realities of capitalism — and nearly every other “ism” too — is that the monkey with the biggest stick usually gets all the coconuts. 

For all sorts of reasons beyond the reach of the majority of gardaí the reputation of our police force is not what it should be or what anyone wants it to be. 

Writing more than 20 years ago multi-million selling Discworld author and Alzheimer’s sufferer Terry Pratchett warned that: “Time is like a drug. Too much of it kills you.”

There is chilling coincidence in the fact that within days of the death of Ben Bradlee, the great, liberal and inspirational American newspaper editor who brought down the corrupt president Richard Nixon by supporting good, old fashioned and don’t-name-your-sources journalism, that the European Court of Human Rights has ruled against The Irish Times in a benchmark case related to the whether journalists are obliged to name their sources or not.

The importance of the bloodstock industry and horse racing is recognised by the very generous level of Government subvention given to the sector.

Any young family or individual trying to keep pace with relentlessly climbing rents, any pensioner on the verge of losing their home of many years because rents are being increased far, far faster than their income will have been dismayed by yesterday’s report on the rental sector. It offered them little or no comfort much less security.

As Taoiseach Enda Kenny presses European leaders to grant special concessions to Ireland on reducing climate changing emissions any measure that will help us reduce our carbon footprint must be welcomed and embraced.

The news that tobacco giant Reynolds American Inc, maker of the iconic Camel cigarette, is to ban smoking in its offices and buildings will bring a wry smile to anyone who has struggled to give up smoking.