NOT since the burning of Cork has the city by the Lee been so emblazoned with fire, colour and a sense of vibrant expectation.

The Government has increased educational funding but the increase provided does not come close to meeting the cost of inflation, especially the extra wage bill incurred by benchmarking or Sustaining Progress.

THE Lisbon Strategy signed by European leaders in March 2000 set out to make the EU the most dynamic and competitive economy in the world by 2010.