Brian Cowen has two very serious issues to address whether or not he remains leader of Fianna Fáil and whether or not he remains as Taoiseach – and they both relate to Anglo Irish Bank, writes Vincent Browne.

A number of issues on what is not known of the Taoiseach's dealings with the troubled bank should be addressed, writes Vincent Browne.

So Brian Cowen did attend a golf outing in July 2008 organised by his friend Fintan Drury, which Seán FitzPatrick also attended, and "no discussions regarding Anglo Irish Bank took place".

Fianna Fáil might be right about Eamon Gilmore. Give him enough time and he could do in himself and the Labour Party, or at least do himself and Labour serious damage, writes Vincent Browne.

Gilmore rose to that challenge impressively in an interview with Sean O'Rourke on RTE Radio 1 during the week and hinted at just how much harm he could do, if given the chance. But before I get into that, allow me to set the context.

Government of the people by the people requires radical change in our self-serving parliamentary system, writes Vincent Browne.

The stunts over the abolition of the Seanad are a reminder that however desperate the nation's condition may be, our politicians can be relied upon to do everything they can to make matters worse.

As a diary, the IPA Yearbook has been overtaken by electronic gadgets. But its quirkiness as a diary remains amusing, writes Vincent Browne.

For instance, it notes that 2 January was the 150th anniversary of the death of King Frederick William of Prussia.

Not many people know that. Not many people want to know that.

Moral failures in public life are nothing compared to a rich-poor divide that is literally a matter of life and death, writes Vincent Browne.

The spectacle on Prime Time Investigates of mega-developers trying to secure their wealth by transferring assets to their spouses, assets now properly the property of the State, while continuing to live lavish lifestyles with helicopters and limousines, was great television. But all this drama misses the point.

It's time we named that traditional Irish art, much ignored in spite of its prevalence, an art handed down from father to son over generations, an art that has shaped our society more than almost every other custom, an art that has been very much in evidence again over these festive days: it's the male art of practised helplessness. By Vincent Browne

A staggering 59% of Irish Times poll respondents felt the economy would be the same if Fine Gael and Labour had been at the wheel, writes Vincent Browne.

There is huge disillusionment with politics as politics is in Ireland now. A sense that the government is hopelessly incompetent and that the alternative government is hardly any better.

There was a throwaway line in Brian Lenihan's budget speech two weeks ago about ministerial transport. It was to the effect that changes to ministerial transport arrangements would be specified in the budget annex, writes Vincent Browne.

The budget annex revealed there would be no changes to ministerial transport, apart from an undertaking that ministerial cars would henceforth be of two-litre capacity, and the transport arrangements for former taoisigh were being curtailed marginally.

The EU needs this deal as much as Ireland, for if an Irish bank goes down, it endangers banks around Europe, writes Vincent Browne.

A chap called Chandler rented a room from another chap called Webster in 1901. The agreed fee was £140, payable up front. Chandler paid £100 and owed Webster the balance. Chandler wanted to view the coronation procession of Edward VII, the heir to Queen Victoria, and his wife Alexandra on 26 June of that year.