Almost a million people rely on Government income supports. Many depend on payments which will be reviewed next month. They may be sustained or they may be cut as Government income collapses.

These demands may have to be satisfied through borrowing. In those circumstances, circumstances that may endure longer than we care to admit, expenditure must be managed wisely.

Some weeks ago a booklet offering advice on Covid-19 was produced by Government and the HSE. It was delivered, or at least it should have been, to every home in the country. This was an entirely welcome and appropriate exercise in public health education.

The same booklet has been translated into Irish and is being delivered to homes across the country. There is a legal obligation to produce all official public documents in Irish and this second delivery observes that. It would be interesting to see, if it could be established, how many people relied on the second publication.

This seems an occasion when idealism might be leavened with some common sense.

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