IF alcohol is a drug, why is it being dispensed by people who have no qualifications to dispense drugs? Is any member of the Vintners Federation of Ireland, staff at off-licences or in supermarkets suitably qualified to do so?

WITH regard to the opening of pubs on Good Friday, many people seem to think it’s time church and state practices should be separated.

The funeral has taken place in Roscommon today of a young man who died in Holland last week.

BEFORE any property is bailed out under NAMA every single politician – national and local – top bank officials, developers and their ilk should disclose their personal interest and financial involvement with land banks, property or any other holdings that have the potential to be refinanced by public money.

HOW in God’s name can the Government go on summer recess in the middle of a recession?

BY all accounts, the Oasis concert at Slane last Saturday week had all the ingredients of a man-made disaster.

RTÉ — the national broadcaster — has been advertising a Christmas greetings jingle on behalf of the Irish Vintners’ Association advising people to get their bums into the pub for a great Christmas.

Now that the Olympics are over, the post-mortems will begin in earnest and the age-old question will be asked again — why can’t we compete with the rest of the world in the various disciplines at Olympic level?

With regard to dwindling attendances at GAA championship matches — especially the earlier rounds this year— is it not a distinct possibility that the new drink driving laws are more than partly to blame?

YOUR editorial on road carnage (February 5), and the Taoiseach’s comments on the same subject, both blamed speed for the death of nine people on our roads the previous weekend.

INSTEAD of heaping all the blame for road carnage on drivers, why doesn’t Transport Minister Martin Cullen and all the other relevant agencies actually address the main cause of road slaughter — totally inadequate and incompetent motor vehicle design.

IN recent years we have heard a lot about the Celtic Tiger and the wonderful place that Ireland has become. What nonsense.

THE Leinster Council is providing 11,000 free tickets to primary children from the six counties participating in the first round of their provincial SFC championship games on May 11.

Saturday's Club Championship results