Facing the cold snap - Be ready to lend a hand

DURING her tour of areas hit by flooding this week, President McAleese warned that we must not turn our back on the families still enduring the consequences of the recent floods.

She also congratulated communities on their response to the disaster. The current cold snap may require a similar response, especially in regard to older people living in isolation, rural or urban.

A white Christmas may be alluring but the challenge posed by temperatures as low as -10C is significant, especially for those suffering from fuel poverty.