From recent press reports we learn that Irish motorists will soon face another hike in road tax, with an increase in road tolls.

The hypocrisy of this Government apparently knows no bounds.

The children’s right referendum will be held on Nov 10.

While welcoming Minister Deenihan’s ban on the hunting of Kerry red deer and the curlew, I would urge him to go a step further, because this is the same minister who a few months ago issued a licence permitting the capture of thousands of hares for live coursing events.

The evidence suggests that innocent bystanders are killed and injured often in US drone attacks — not occasionally.

Having just watched the TV3 programme about food poverty in our nation I now want to ask a question of all TDs (past and present) who are, and were, supposed to be working for the good of the people.

The debate is ongoing in the Department of Transport on whether or not to close or greatly downgrade the coast guard stations at Valentia Island, Co Kerry, and maybe the one at Malin Head at the northern tip of Co Donegal too.

Commenting on the report on the high charges being levied on pensions, Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton, when asked about the prospect for tax reliefs on pension contributions, stated that she did not think it was necessarily a good idea to seek to reduce the marginal rate of relief, but rather to cap it.

Horror does not adequately describe my reaction to the story that the children’s hospital (National Paediatric Hospital), had become a bone of “divergence” between the unhappy partners in this tatterdemalion Coalition.

I find it ironic that Leo Varadkar should be Fine Gael’s director of elections for the children’s rights referendum, given the fact that last year he publicly stated that he finds referendums to be “not very democratic”.