The acquittal of Pádraig Nally, the Mayo farmer, for the murder of the Traveller, John Ward, and his conviction for manslaughter raises again legal doubts about the law on provocation.

The revelation that the DPP was not the official who instigated the manslaughter charge against a Clonmel resident, Noel Hannigan, in connection with the death of 14 year old Brian Rossiter, raises further questions concerning the surrounding circumstances of the boys death and the Garda handling of the case.

It is ludicrous for Government ministers, with supposed responsibility for departments of State, to be paid €200,000 on the basis that chief executives of comparable institutions are paid similarly. There is no comparability.

McDowell announces inquiry into the circumstances and arrest and detention at Clonmel Garda station of Brian Rossiter on 10/11 September 2002, having ignored pleas for an inquiry for 18 months. (Brian Rossiter, then aged 14, was found in a coma in Clonmel Garda station on the morning of 11 September 2002 and a life support machine which had kept him breathing for three subsequent days was turned off on 13 September 2002).

Around midday on Tuesday 10 September 2002 Anthony O' Sullivan went to the home of Brian Rossiter's sister, Sharon, in Queens St, Clonmel. Brian came out and they walked down Queens St. They turned into Upper Gladstone St, met an older friend whom they asked to buy a few liters of cider. On receiving the cider they continued down Gladstone St towards the Main Guard. They turned into the pedestrianised Mitchell St and then right into Abbey St, heading towards the river.

The year 1982 was "plagued by scandal", threats to democracy, fear and loathing, according to Part III of the Haughey series. The reality is the "scandals" were wildly exaggerated, there was open treachery within Fianna Fáil and the Haughey government promised economic rescue, five years before it happened. By Vincent Browne

The capitulation of Michael McDowell on an inquiry into the death of Brian Rossiter is abject. His claim that he knew nothing about the case until recently, extraordinary. His caution about the nature of the inquiry, worrying.

The first two programmes: Director Niamh Sammon televisually brilliant, great archive footage, journalistically second rate, blather, misinformation, missed opportunity. RTÉ is to blame for failing to commit adequate resources to the most important recent historical project it has yet undertaken, by Vincent Browne

Following the scandal of Garda corruption in Donegal and considering Michael McDowell's blaming of Nora Owen's inertia over the McBrearty case, it seems astounding that the Minister has acted in such a cold and aloof manner after a child has died in police custody. The question now hanging in the air is, "Where is the Justice Minister?"

14-year-old Brian Rossiter died having been found in a coma in Garda custody. Questions arise in connection with his detention and what happened him after arrest. Michael McDowell fails to respond to queries and then denies family access to autopsy report. By Vincent Browne