Tough tests ahead for Govt

Although riding high in weekend opinion polls, the Government will come crashing back to earth with a series of tough tests when the Dáil resumes after its five-week Christmas break on Wednesday.

After the Northern Bank fiasco, a clearly-deflated Bertie Ahern will have to pick up the pieces in the Northern Ireland power-sharing talks despite almost universal opinion that the IRA carried out December’s record heist.