THE toast at the annual Labour party conference in Galway was ‘Eamon Gilmore for Taoiseach’. This ambition has a semblance of credibility in the context of the party leaders’ opinion poll approval ratings.

THE Croke Park accord is apparently heading up a cul de sac. Key public sector unions are coming out against the revised pay deal.

THE Croke Park accord is apparently heading up a cul de sac. Key public sector unions are coming out against the revised pay deal.

THE implosion of our financial services sector just keeps giving more trauma and we have been constantly misled with only partial, minimalist, optimistic instalments of information. This has led the state to take ownership of virtually the entire indigenous banking sector and its liabilities.

AND so they’re off. The people of Britain, as long expected, are taking a trip to the polls on May 6.

BEFORE the dawn comes the darkest hour. This week’s choreography between the Minister for Finance, Central Bank governor and Financial Regulator seeks to reconstruct the Irish banking system. We have to hope it works. Don’t be too fearful about the enormous sums being injected into AIB and Bank of Ireland.

WHAT was happening last week in Bray garda station? Is it possible that a process has started whereby former senior bankers, who have brought our economy to the precipice of insolvency, will face the four-letter ‘g’ word? Get a grip. Cop yourself on. Ireland doesn’t do gaol, it does golf. There is little imminent prospect of justice. We should not be surprised.

THE Taoiseach returns today from Washington. At the top of his in-tray is next Tuesday’s ministerial reshuffle. This represents his last chance to refresh his Government.

POLITICIANS are geared to think only as far as the next election. They go into liquidation if they lose their seat.

THERE is an unanswerable case now for the Government to publish a white paper on banking. The multiplicity of reasons for this needs to be chronicled.