Today, the Irish Examiner begins the first of two articles on paedophilia in Ireland.

THE Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) and the Psychiatric Nurses Association have announced that they will escalate their industrial action on Wednesday of next week with rolling stoppages around the country in support of their demands for a pay increase of 10% and a 35-hour working week.

In a comprehensive audit of Irish democracy, the Think-tank for Action on Social Change (TASC) notes that the health of a democracy is largely dependent on public satisfaction.

ENVIRONMENT Minister Dick Roche yesterday launched the Government’s National Climate Change Strategy for 2007-2012.

NOBODY should be surprised that there is a slowdown in house prices, in view of recent rises interest rate hikes and speculation about a possible change in the stamp duty as a result of promises being made by political parties.

NON-EMERGENCY operations are being cancelled due to the nurses’ work-to-rule, which begins today.

THE annual conference of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) will this week be discussing a call for a “national emergency” to be declared in response to gangland violence.

Before the introduction of random breath testing last summer, the Garda Síochána could not stop and breathalyse a driver without cause to suspect that the person’s driving was impaired.

The public should welcome the installation of CCTV systems in 17 more areas around the country — in towns as widespread as Drogheda, Sligo, Kinsale, Dungarvan, Athlone, and Clonmel.

SEISMIC changes are occurring at a bewildering pace on Ireland’s social landscape judging by the 2006 Census Report which reveals that Muslims are now the third largest religious group; family sizes are shrinking rapidly; divorce is on the increase; and a huge slice of the country’s housing stock is vacant.