IN the wake of former minister Willie O’Dea’s ignominious exit from the the Cabinet, Taoiseach Brian Cowen now has a good opportunity to appoint a qualified person who is not just a party hack from a convenient constituency.

THE forthcoming inaugural Global Irish Economic Forum, which is the brainchild of the visionary economist David McWilliams, is to be welcomed.

THE essential recommendations of the Bord Snip Nua report must be implemented. The €5bn in savings the report has targeted must be achieved. This is vital if we want to begin to restore our public finances to remain solvent as a country.