While there are compelling arguments in favour of banning sponsorship of sports events by the drinks industry, the proposal for a ban by 2016 seems destined to be long-fingered.

Thanks to appalling levels of understaffing in the HSE, the problems facing troubled and neglected children in Roscommon continue to cause public concern.

Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte announced yesterday that the Government is to begin mapping out the broadband availability throughout the country in line with the national broadband plan to provide high-speed service to all parts of the country through a combination of public and private investment.

The launch of the Synthesis & Solid State Pharma-ceutical Centre (SSPC) at the University of Limerick is a particularly exciting development.

The Criminal Asset Bureau has been a great success, but the challenges continue to grow.

Speaking on The Week in Politics yesterday, Finance Minister Michael Noonan stated that the proceeds from the promissory note deal could be used to lessen the pain of the October budget.

In a concerted crackdown on the sale of black market medicines last week, gardaí and customs officials uncovered over 192,000 different types of fake medicines, worth over €600,000, with the help of Interpol and some 200 national drug bodies.

The German people are not renowned for their sense of humour, so nobody should be surprised they have been distinctly upset by John Bowe’s recital of “Deutschland Über Alles,” or David Drumm’s suggestion that Anglo Irish Bank should “get the fuckin’ money in” from investors in countries such as Germany and Britain.

Ireland’s presidency of the EU formally comes to an end on Sunday. It was the seventh time that Ireland undertook the presidency since joining the European Economic Community 40 years ago.

The report of the Oireachtas Committee on Justice calling for the criminalisation of payments for sex through prostitution is warmly welcomed.