DÁIL Eireann will rise for the Christmas recess today meaning that it is time for the annual prizegiving. In the spirit of goodwill to all political men and women, here are this columnist’s Tallyman Awards for 2003.

A KUWAITI hospital was last night preparing to receive an Iraqi boy whose arms were blown off in a coalition air raid.

MEDICAL staff treating an Iraqi boy who lost both his arms in a coalition bombing have said he may die unless he is immediately flown out for specialist treatment.

I AM looking at a picture of a young boy (Irish Examiner, April 7), and a caption that reads: “Ali Ismail Abbas: a missile destroyed his home, left him an orphan and blew off both his arms.”

AT about 9.30pm on Sunday last, the continuity announcer on RTÉ television, in a sombre voice, gave a stern warning to viewers before the start of ER to the effect that some people might find certain scenes in the programme distressing.