THE right to choose is a slogan synonymous with another issue, but it’s one which Minister for Health Mícheál Martin will be hearing a lot of between now and the New Year before his unilateral smoking ban is introduced.

IN the fall-out from the Laffoy Commission debacle, Minister for Education Noel Dempsey has come up with what can only be described as an inspiration on how to cut down on costs, numbers and delays.

THE litter problem in this country is a dirty business, but something which few people think about is the fact that it could have a detrimental effect on the economy.

IT will come as no surprise to hear that the Government is going to axe the 100 people receive from the President on reaching the remarkable milestone of 100 years of age.

THE number of people who expressed abhorrence at the possibility of somebody becoming a criminal simply because they want to trace their parents surprised me during the past fortnight.

FOR a man who was reportedly awaiting a call from the Grim Reaper about a month ago, Charles J Haughey has reaped a nice profit from the sale of Abbeville which, during his tenure there, stood as a symbol of everything that is rotten in this country.

Reports of their deaths may be greatly exaggerated. Given the dodgy quality of the information that the Americans and the British have been indoctrinating the rest of the world with, there is still a good chance that Qusay and Uday — not to mention the 14 year-old boy — are alive and well.

REPORTS in this country are used by the Government and its agencies to long-finger apportionment of blame, and the more serious the issue, the longer the delay.

ACHTUNG Bertie! The Taoiseach could take a lead from the Germans who have embarked on a campaign to get the rest of the world to think their country is sexy.

A TWO-YEAR-OLD child died because her heart operation was cancelled and the Minister for Health, Micheál Martin, calls for a report.