Rónán Mullen (Independent)

Today is a significant day because it would appear that we have found the answer to an age-old scriptural riddle concerning whether the sons will actually be made to pay for the sins of their fathers. It would appear that Deputy Michael Healy-Rae has given us the answer to that question: they will, indeed. Leaving aside the jocose aspect of this, the point needs to be reiterated that there are lessons here for all of us to learn. This has been another unhelpful blow to the reputation of politics and politicians in the eyes of an increasingly sceptical and frustrated public. Let us hope that we will have no more stories like this one in future.

It never ceases to amaze me how people in the media can miss the really obvious point. I know that Senator Marie-Louise O'Donnell will be as concerned as I am to hear that the journalism MA students in DCU - and I am a graduate of that course in DCU - are to be----