A leader whose job and whose performance is about his or her own ego never amounts to much.

BANKS tend to be big employers. For instance, most of the largest private sector employers in Europe are banks — HSBC Holdings, BNP Paribas, Royal Bank of Scotland, Credit Suisse.

ANOTHER year, another military parade. Another reading of the Proclamation of Independence on the steps of the GPO.

I WANT you to imagine the publication of a tribunal report. It’s a report into the way a particular business has been supported and its publication has been long awaited.

We are going to see a period of cutbacks now.

OUR Constitution must copper-fasten the protection of children from those who would seek to harm them, according to Fergus Finlay, Barnardos chief executive.

REUNIFICATION or redundancy? That seems to be the dilemma facing Gerry Adams and the leadership of Sinn Féin. They seem to be on the verge of becoming about as important to the political process down here as, well, the PDs.

THIS year our Government is planning to spend around €62 billion. It’s an enormous figure, isn’t it? You’d think there was no problem that couldn’t be solved with that kind of money, and maybe a little more imagination, a bit more serious planning and a lot more better management.

I KNOW I’m only supposed to do begrudgery on this page. I’m supposed to get angry about the uneven distribution of wealth in Ireland, the immorality of policies that favour the rich, the injustice and unfairness that so many people suffer from.

I WANT to see Hillary Clinton win for several reasons. First, she is immensely able — easily the most able of the candidates left in the race. Her international and economic expertise make even candidates a good deal older than her look like novices.