Inspirational

Apart at all from the wretched weather this was a challenging week.

Scandalous hospital waiting lists were reported; emigration rates hitting 1,500 people a week; judges berating Government because there are still no places to send juvenile offenders; a worrying row between the gardaí and the force’s ombudsman; another coroner warning about the suicide epidemic; another child dies after an accident that was not attended by an ambulance.

And, if all of that was not enough, we are a step closer to the industrial chaos promised by unions opposed to Croke Park II. Farmers are struggling with a fodder crisis and we’re moving closer to decision time on abortion.

And in the midst of all that, an inspiring ray of light. Yesterday, a seamstress named only as Reshma was rescued 17 days after the Dhaka factory building she was working in collapsed killing more than 1,000 workers. Human resilience and willpower can indeed be inspiring.