It’s an illusion that this country cherishes all of its children

ACHTUNG Bertie! The Taoiseach could take a lead from the Germans who have embarked on a campaign to get the rest of the world to think their country is sexy.

Germany wants to re-invent itself as the land of 100,000 willkommen and throw off the widespread perception that they're an arrogant nation of sunbed-stealers.

It may not be coincidence that the German tetchiness about their image comes in the wake of the unfortunate comparison Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi made between a German politician and a Nazi.