Independent Dáil TD Michael Lowry has asserted — once again — that he is the victim of an “organised, concerted, and vicious media campaign” because of questions about a previously unknown payment of stg£248,264 to a land agent.

This might be a good week to be a member of one of those contemplative religious orders who has sworn to observe silence and embrace a kind of unthreatening poverty.

With people being clobbered by draconian cutbacks and facing a raft of new taxes, it is heartening to hear the success of a Government campaign against social welfare fraud, effectively saving €669m last year and aiming at savings of €710m this year.

For the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics, next Tuesday will long be remembered as the landmark beginning of the conclave in Rome to elect a new pontiff following Pope Benedict’s sudden resignation.

There was a palpable air of expectation, almost relief, two years ago when the Fine Gael-Labour coalition ended more than a decade of Fianna Fáil’s chaotic mismanagement.

It seems strange that in 2013 we are still talking about equal opportunities for women in business.

Many of those interested in politics or how our world works will be familiar with the anecdote about the diplomat from Maoist China on a visit to Paris some decades ago. When asked how he thought the 1789 French Revolution had worked out he answered: “It’s far, far too early to say.”

Yesterday’s Swiss report that concluded that eating too much meat, especially processed meat, considerably increases the risk of dying prematurely because of heart disease or cancer can hardly be described as shocking.

It is far, far too early to celebrate the announcement that the European Union is considering an extension of Ireland’s debt repayments scheduled over five years or more, but it may not be too early to hope this development means the tide may really be turning in our favour.

A Teachers’ Union of Ireland spokesman yesterday suggested fee paying schools should reimburse the State for salaries paid to teachers employed in these schools out of their fee income.