BORD NA gCON chairman Paschal Taggart admitted yesterday that he has dogs registered in the names of his children, and that one of those animals was trained by a man at the centre of the doping scandal.

EVEN before it is published, serious questions are hanging over the report into Bord na gCon following a claim by its controversial chairman that media coverage of what the document contains appeared to be at variance with indications that he had received from the author during his investigation.

THE Taoiseach has depicted a bleak scenario in his latest comments on the Northern Ireland situation.

After more than 150 years, the sugar beet industry in this country disappeared yesterday with the closure of the Greencore factory in Mallow, leaving in its wake a devastating impact on the local economy.

The anticipated boon for the consumer with the abolition of the Groceries Order has abjectly failed to manifest itself.

Despite any gloss with which he may try to mask the question of decentralisation, Tom Parlon, the minister with responsibility to implement it, should accept the inevitable.

In the face of a three-year high inflation rate of 3.8% and the prospect of further higher interest and fuel charges, the message to workers on restraint in the pay talks from Finance Minister Brian Cowen is likely to fall on largely sceptical ears.

THE National Consumer Agency has been complaining about the high cost of prescription medicine in this country. Ireland is the fourth most expensive country for prescription medicine in the eurozone.

BRITAIN and Ireland have the lowest levels of statutory maternity benefits in Western Europe. For too long people in this country aped aspects of British society, but this is an aspect in which we should be looking elsewhere.

THE decision of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) to target marginal constituencies, as well as Government Dáil deputies with vulnerable majorities, signals their determination to seriously pursue the issue of a reserve force.