SOME Adoption Board members attended just a fraction of board meetings between 2005 and 2009, a period in which the organisation was embroiled in high-profile scandals.

THE consensus arising from the departure of George Lee, contributed to in a minor way by the exit of Déirdre de Búrca, is that the political system has failed. Never was a consensus more wrong. The events of the last week demonstrate the political system working beautifully.

THE watershed jailing of former lobbyist Frank Dunlop for corruption was met with muted response within political circles.