The mishandling of one issue after another continues to raise questions about the competence of the Government. If the various ministers have learned nothing else from politics, surely they realise that the perception of a cover-up fuels rumours and speculation.

ON MONDAY the cuts envisaged for the HSE’s Service Plan for 2009 outlined the necessity for €530 million worth of savings, but yesterday, just one day later, the HSE was saying that it would also need to slash the health budget by a further €400m to bring the projected cuts close to €1 billion.

WHATEVER reasoning was used by Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Barry Andrews, when he decided not to immediately publish a Department of Health commissioned report into how allegations of child sexual abuse were handled by the Diocese of Cloyne, it stinks to high heaven.

CALL it what you will but Sunday’s announcement of a €10 billion recapitalisation of the banks is little less than a rearguard action to try to save our economy.

AN POST’S “rubber room” symbolises all that is dishonest and wrong about our public service and semi-state companies.

I WANT to add a sense of perspective and reason to the debate on the education savings measures as I feel the teachers have gone over the top in their protests.

I FIND the idea of children being exploited in the debate on education savings measures difficult to fathom.

IN A long line of government white elephants, tens of millions of euro in taxpayers’ money have once again been shamefully squandered.

THE Government’s stubborn propensity to take the wrong budgetary option time and again is graphically illustrated by the latest cutback in education.

THE Government’s stubborn propensity to take the wrong budgetary option time and again is graphically illustrated by the latest cutback in education.