JOHN CURRAN, the minister in charge of the National Drug Strategy admits that the approach has failed in its objective so far.

THE riot at Mountjoy prison on Saturday — the most serious incident at the prison in more than a decade — was fortunately brought to a speedy conclusion without loss of life.

“How much morality is there in saving an Ethiopian child from starvation today, for it to survive [for] a life of brutal circumcision, poverty, hunger, violence and sexual abuse, resulting in another half-dozen such wide-eyed children, with comparably jolly little lives ahead of them?” a columnist in a rival newspaper wrote during the week.

AS THE Dáil was winding up before going on holidays on Thursday, ESB chairman Lochlann Quinn refused to speculate about forthcoming price increases.

The politicians are off on an 11-week holiday and the country can go to hell. That seemed to be the Dáil’s message yesterday.

“It’s like Dad’s Army; they haven’t a clue what’s going on,” snapped Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary. “Stop giving us PR bullshit.”

Having boasted for centuries that Ireland was the island of saints and scholars, it is imperative that everyone should have the opportunity of a full education.

Normally people like to say nice things about someone when they die. But even by that standard the tributes to Séamus Brennan yesterday were extraordinary. The praise was as sincere as it was glowing, right across the floor of Leinster House.

Following publication of last week’s exchequer figures, the Government was facing a shortfall of about €3 billion on expected revenue for 2008. Hence corrective action became an imperative yesterday.

Leaders of the Group of Eight industrial nations — comprising Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the US — have taken the soft option by agreeing to a 50% cut in the current level of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.