Perhaps we should not expect too much from a programme designed to allow a government to be elected, but there are hard choices ahead

With North Korea deepening its links with Moscow, South Korea has a dangerous and unpredictable neighbour

The industry said costs to customers would come down if it got predictability and proportionality about personal injury awards - it is time for it to deliver

Politically, the Spanish move is an interesting reflection on the pressure on politicians to act

Apocalyptic scenes could have come from the storyboard of a blockbuster movie

Further rate cuts risk adding fuel to demand in an already-inflated housing market , where what is required is lower prices, not higher ones

Growing support for right-wing populists in Austria and Germany has significant implications for the EU and Europe

This year - as ever - the ingenuity of entrants, their compelling interpretations and communication skills stood out

It is hardly an accident that the new policies are almost identical to those of Elon Musk’s X

The availability of accurate and timely weather forecasts – such as those available this week – is key to the successful navigation of such events

The ongoing rise in house prices, requiring buyers to take out ever-bigger mortgages, is concerning

Fourteen years is an extraordinary length of time for a criminal investigation

Alarmingly, Trump has not ruled out military coercion in the interests of US national security to annex both Greenland and the Panama Canal

The EU is likely to put a new focus on developing strong indigenous players which has implications for Irish policy

The key question will be to what extent European countries will be willing to fill the vacuum left in the wake of US withdrawal

Proposed new bylaws presuppose that there are adequate, regulated indoor services for the people that need them - and currently there are not

The risk to the next coalition, if it does not pursue a prudent policy, is that it ends up having to cut spending and hike taxes in the second half of its term

Dublin’s north inner city was the only area to be branded “seriously littered” by the survey which found that the situation there had deteriorated

The new programme for government must be not just be a series of bland commitments

The biggest beneficiary of the changes so far have been the bus passenger, with travel times down by 30 per cent

The legal framework of the planning system may have been improved but unless there is sufficient investment in the planning and court structures the system will not work effectively

Keir Starmer faces questions about his overall strategy and the political capacity to make it work

The latest release of files show that John Major and John Bruton deserve considerable credit for their efforts on Northern Ireland

The extent and persistence of the upward pressure on prices is concerning

The general election took place inside a bubble, when a calamity with fundamental implications for society and the economy was relegated to a side issue by the three largest parties

With significant uncertainties ahead, it is important that a new government is in place as soon as possible

Dublin City Council is correct to widen the use of cameras to detect motorists going through red lights

A former president who embodied the old school virtues of integrity and public service has died as a new divisive politics holds sway

The cross-fertilisation between Ireland’s literary culture and its other artforms was particularly significant

The service is chronically understaffed and underfunded and too many archive services are undermined by the restrictions under which they operate

Even the best coaches and the most talented sportsmen and women will only thrive if they have the crucial ingredient of adequate resources

The image which Ireland presented to the world at the end of 2024 was one of unusual stability

The road ahead is clear enough – use the funds coming from strong corporate and income taxes to invest in housing and infrastructure - but delivery remains the key issue

A year of terrible wars and the re-invigoration of populist politics which has all underlined deeply worrying trends in international relations

Christmas always bring the promise of a new beginning, even if at times like this hope can seem in short supply

The next government must show a real willingness to get to grips with this issue if the grim monthly figures are not to be part of its record

Policymakers in Beijing appear to have been holding back much of their firepower so that they can blunt the impact of tariffs by pumping money into the domestic economy

It seems unlikely that this administration will be as committed to social reform as some of its predecessors

Female athletes are finally being provided with the right facilities, coaching and resources and are in turn providing role models for the next generation

The shocking case, which has attracted worldwide attention, should set a new benchmark for bringing to account those responsible for violence against women

Recycling rates for municipal and plastic waste look set to fell well short of EU target levels

The next government must accept that a new approach is needed if housing really is to be a priority

Olaf Scholz looks most unlikely to return to office after February’s election and the shape of the new parliament will be different

As the European home of some of the major tech players, the State has a crucial role in an area where tensions are likely with the US

The current strategy is not working and new measures are needed

Israel is aggrieved by Ireland’s recognition of Palestine and by the State’s willingness to intervene at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in South Africa’s case against Israel

Elections of ceann comhairle and leas ceann comhairle are the only secret ballots conducted among this 174-strong constituency

François Bayrou inherits a poisoned chalice of Emmanuel Macron’s making

The problems are the product of decades of underinvestment and neglect

The decision to stay out is due not to an excess of ideological purity but to an entirely rational assessment of the probable outcome