Domestic affairs - Ahern must give lead on judge and TD

After the euphoria of the weekend’s EU enlargement ceremonies, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has more prosaic issues to deal with from today, ones that have a more direct impact on the Irish electorate.

The Government’s deadline for Judge Brian Curtin to elucidate on his future plans runs out today. The Cabinet hopes the ultimatum offers some chance of circumventing what would inevitably be a fraught situation.

It remains to be seen what attitude the judge adopts, and ministers will have before them the response which he delivered yesterday.