The theme is familiar regarding the proposed hospice at Magheramore, Co Wicklow. Everybody, from the Columban Sisters to Daniel Day Lewis to civic society groups, have done their bit to get it built. The only party that hasn’t is the public sector-operated HSE.

THE hasty last-minute announcement that the DART will not run for 18 months on Saturdays and Sundays in order to carry out the updating of its system is farcical and unacceptable.

THE proposal of Health Minister Micheál Martin to ban smoking during mealtimes and allow it at other times in pubs is nonsense.