OUR Catholic bishops have endured considerable criticism so it is entirely appropriate that when one does something commendable it should be recognised.

ONE of the ragged comfort blankets wrapped around politicians dumped by the electorate, forced to resign or just fade into harmless obscurity is Enoch Powell’s crushing phrase “all political lives ... end in failure”.

EVERY organisation in the country has had to rearrange its affairs to cope with reduced revenues. RTÉ is no different and is reviewing its funding of performing groups.

The latest unemployment figures are alarming. Almost 280,000 are now unemployed. The figure for September was up by 120,000 over a year earlier.

The disgraceful scene in court in Tralee yesterday of a line of some 50 people expressing support for a man convicted of a brutal sexual assault in Listowel, Co Kerry, sent entirely the wrong message. The incident, which occurred before the judge entered the courtroom, was obviously organised beforehand.

THE Supreme Court yesterday did what supreme courts do: it ruled in favour of one argument and rejected another. It made a decision on what a piece of legislation actually means.

ONE of the more popular car stickers of recent years was the one that carried a threat: “Be nice to your children, remember they’ll choose your nursing home.”

SCHOOLS and colleges have long been accused of making it easier than heretofore for students to pass exams and though this accusation has been strongly rejected suspicions persist.

IT IS absurd to suggest in a democracy that any people should not have a right to express their opinions by voting.

FAIR-MINDED people will welcome the report of the Law Reform Commission (LRC), which advocates that victims of crime should have the right to use force to defend themselves, their families and their own homes from attack.