I read recently that Simon in Cork will be calling door to door across the city and county in the coming weeks, encouraging people to support people who are homeless by becoming monthly givers.

The Pensions Board recently announced new funding standards for occupational pensions. Two high profile companies are considering closure of their defined benefit pensions for new employees as a result.

In the aftermath of Roy Keane’s recent (often misquoted and regularly misunderstood) criticism of the Irish team and supporters at Euro 2012 there has been a clamour of criticism aimed at the Mayfield man from pundits and punters alike.

The Independent Child Death Review Group’s report indicates systemic failures at various levels in the Irish health and social services systems.

Whenever I have visitors from abroad and the discussion comes around to the crassness of certain politicians, I look up YouTube and show them Bertie’s “leering out of a cupboard” TV commercial for an English tabloid sold here, and my guests immediately go into embarrassed silence!

Forget a Federal Europe. If any federation is to evolve it ought to be an Island Federation offshore Europe initially, and invite our Nordic neighbours (Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland) to join eventually.

Yet again, the media bandwagon latch onto expense claims by Sinn Féin and completely miss the bigger picture, while the silence from other parties tells its own story.

I wish people would stop complaining about the rain.

The news that Ryanair has launched yet another takeover bid for Aer Lingus would ordinarily strike fear into the hearts and minds of the traveling public.

UNCHR Ireland is quite correct as reported in the Irish Examiner (Jun 20) in calling for what is called the ” single procedure” for asylum and protection applications.