There is general agreement on the recommendations by the Citizens’ Assembly on maternity leave and home care, but how to pay for it is a question that can‘t be shirked

The health minister is not alone in his concern for self-promotion but he didn‘t help his case with his handling of the issue

Political wrangling and mishaps give the impression of a government at odds with itself, which helps no one

The EU green cert, for those who have been vaccinated, recovered from Covid-19 or tested negative, will miss many cases and will also create ethical and civil liberties issues

British bad faith puts Ireland in a difficult, but not hopeless, position, and the case for a cooperative approach to the North remains as strong as ever

The move to make social media companies pay for news generated by national and international media could have direct implications for Ireland

Political stability in the North is best served by close cooperation between the Irish and British governments, not brazenly irresponsible duplicity on the part of the British prime minister

Public disillusion will increase if official ‘advice’ is seen as ineffective and loopholes regarding international travel remain unaddressed

The attack on the Capitol Building in Washington DC didn’t happen in a vacuum but, instead, was the product of years of poisonous disinformation being spread online

The science community’s response to the pandemic has been nothing short of inspirational – and will hopefully encourage the next generation of Stem professionals

The IRA had no mandate, North or South, for its 37 years of armed struggle

The handling of the RTÉ social distancing controversy was flawed but, even then, the national broadcaster made things worse for itself

Sinn Féin’s move against Leo Varadkar over Leakgate led to a vociferous response by Fine Gael

Comment: Sinn Féin is the only party calling for a border poll, and such a step is unlikely in the short term. But that doesn‘t mean discussions should be shelved

Arrangements for voting are largely controlled by each state in the US which is allowing Republican-run administrations to organise voter suppression

Micheál Martin’s reasonable criticism of Sinn Féin’s view of the past misses a key point: a growing number of the Republic’s voters are unconcerned by the party’s occasional outbursts glorifying the IRA

After a week of political muddles and mistakes, the value of good old-fashioned expertise is clear

No matter how well the economy recovers after Covid-19, the reality is a lot of people will end up without work. They should be included, not marginalised

Topping up ministers’ salaries while scheduling cuts in pandemic unemployment payments is bad politics

The circling of the wagons on Barry Cowen’s driving misdemeanours was to be expected. But the government needs to be able to deal with worse problems if it is to survive