" I'VE ONLY BEEN here for the last fortnight," said Gerry Collins disarmingly. Never has a honeymoon been less needed. The new Parliamentary Secretary for Industry, Commerce and the Gaeltacht lost his political virginity years ago. Gerry Collins has' always, so to speak, been on the job.

BRAZIL TODA Y IS, by virtually common consent, the country most likely after Cuba to erupt in some kind of a revolution. It is large and heavily populated, with some 90 million inhabitants-even though there are huge areas where human beings are relatively few and far between. This fact in itself is an indication of the road that Brazilian development is taking-a road which leads the Indians of the countryside inevitably to seek the supposed delights of the cities.

PABLO PICASSO was born in Malaga in 1881. He came of an ancient family and his immediate relatives were priests, doctors, or were employed in business. His father was the only artistic member of the family; he was an artist who taught in the local art school and ran the local museum. Later in Picasso's childhood they spent four years in Corunna and finally settled in Barcelona when he was fourteen. His father was of course his first master and apparently he was a very precocious child, who took no interest in his school work at all and only thought about drawing.

About the only constructive innovation among Mr. Lynch's Cabinet changes was the promise to create a new department for Housing and Physical Development with Mr. Blaney to be in charge. This presumably will mean a higher priority for one of the nation's most pressing social needs as well as greater prominence for a neglected aspect of Irish economic affairs. Apart from that, the numerous promotions, demotions and "transmotions" effected by Mr. Lynch seem only to be aimed at concealing the absence of substantative change by making a multiplicity of minor alterations.

Dr. ll'lario Schoenellberger, the first high ranking Jesuit to speak out 01/ issues of conscience, resigrled voluntarily from the Society of Jesus last April.
His action has callsed one oj the greatest sensations in the order's 435 years of existence, arid has electrified the Chllrch's internal debate on the conscience of the priest.

THE POLITICAL PARTY nominating conventions have caused greater bitterness and controversy this election than ever before. The Labour Party has had its problems in East Limerick where Councillor Michael Lipper was offered a ticket for tWo days "due to doctors ordcrs" and in Dublin North East where it took the threat of Party Leadcr Brendan Corish to resign to ensure Dr. Conor Cruise O'Brien was acceptcd as thc candidate in that area. Fianna Fail has had its problems too, again in East Limerick, Dr.

JACK LYNCH has blundered already, he hasn't yet learnt that he simply mustn't do anything or take any decisions without first clearing it with Haughey. Charlie had decided on who were going to be Parliamentary Secretaries and attached to what Ministries. The suave wheeler-dealer Gerry Collins was to be Chief Whip and Party Manager. Bobby Molloy was to join his "Guru" George Colley in Industry and Commerce and the Gaeltacht, and Des O'Malley was to assume part of the Donogh mantle in Education. However, just one hour before Jack was to make the announcement in the Dail-somebody said that.