Transport Minister Leo Varadkar yesterday ruled out cutting taxes on petrol or diesel to soften spiralling costs.

Though it is impossible to overlook the terrible,impoverishing challenges facing the hard-pressed population of Greece, it would be dishonest to pretend that the €130 billion bailout package agreed by European finance ministers is not an occasion for some very moderate relief across the European Union.

At a time when good news is as cherished as the first flowers of spring, yesterday’s report from the National Consumer Agency (NCA) that 80% of those who reviewed their purchases of goods or services saved money is as timely as it is welcome.

Tomorrow, Ash Wednesday, has been designated National No Smoking Day, and the Irish Cancer Society is launching its first major campaign aimed at young women who smoke tobacco.

It is much too simplistic to suggest the oesophageal cancer treatment of a father of three was cancelled just because the Taoiseach authorised a salary increase of €35,000 for his adviser Ciaran Conlon?

By any assessment, the visit of Chinese vice-president Xi Jinping to Ireland represents a remarkable coup for this country.

Having lost local garda stations, banks, post offices and schools, the forgotten people of rural Ireland have every reason to feel neglected by successive administrations.

In the midst of all our economic problems, the three-day visit of Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping to this country is much more than a welcome diversion.

The mortgage crisis has reached record depths, according to the latest figures released by Central Bank.

Any lingering doubts about the two-faced nature of Irish justice have been well and truly dispelled by the marked contrast revealed in two reports out yesterday showing how different arms of the State deal with people who breach regulations.