ANGELA MERKEL has dismissed any suggestion of Ireland easing its EMU/IMF debt burden while at the same time, she is supporting measures that will further shrink our economy.

AS the Labour Party and Fine Gael meet to negotiate a Programme for Government, it might be timely to remind them of one area where the two parties would seem to agree: the need for Ireland’s foreign policy to be based on human rights.

NEGOTIATORS on both sides have described the talks as “friendly”. Isn’t that reassuring?

THE electorate were not offered a Programme for Government based on compromise between Labour and Fine Gael.

WITH the advent of wind turbine and wave energy power our other resources such as oil and gas should earn royalties for the exchequer. The goal posts have changed.

WHEN the ship of state is sinking, clearly it should be “all hands to the pumps”.

AM I the only person who is amazed at the way the USA has responded to the Libyan crisis?

NO doubt Enda Kenny’s speechwriters are busy drafting his first speech as Taoiseach and setting the tone for how he will reform Ireland.

I AM reliably informed that the following item has just appeared in the personal columns of an Irish publication: Lonely Fianna Fáil voter would like to meet another Fianna Fáil voter.