Exporters created more jobs last year than in any of the previous six years and this — dare we call it a green shoot? — cannot but be welcomed.

The Catholic hierarchy hid for far too long behind the shield of ignorance when confronted by accusations of child abuse.

Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte has fired a shot across the bows of some of his Fine Gael colleagues in relation to reform of our privacy laws. Fine Gael ministers have been pushing the idea of statutory regulation of the media in recent months.

Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney would like to see bankers in the dock, and argues that those senior politicians who were collectively responsible for destroying the Celtic Tiger economy should lose their massive pensions. Many people will undoubtedly empathise with those views.

That the number of people killed on our roads last year was at a record low is a considerable victory for public health campaigning and those who embraced the great cultural shift required to achieve its objectives.

European Affairs Minister Lucinda Creighton is just the latest politician to point out she has been the victim of vicious, personal, and threatening correspondence regarding abortion from both sides of the debate.

In his 1936 book The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money back-in-fashion economist John Maynard Keynes used the phrase “animal spirits” to describe the emotions that shape human behaviour and the feelings that can be measured in terms of consumer confidence.

Today marks the launch of The Gathering, a year-long celebration of all things Irish and a readymade opportunity to promote this country’s image abroad.

Ellen O’Malley-Dunlop of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre raises a critical question about attitudes to rape Ireland in her comment on the brutal murder of a 23-year-old Indian medical student, an appalling crime which has drawn worldwide condemnation. She asks: New Delhi and Dublin — how far apart are we?

The recession has had an impact on tourism just as it has had on every sector in the economy.