Nature is in a state of chassis, according to Eanna Ni Lamhna. Spring is marching across Europe earlier every year, and now we have blooming daffs in January

I can well understand how the release of 30-year-old state papers may be a god-send for those who must continue to provide us with our beloved media while their workers are being tenderly resuscitated from the trauma of the winter solstice. Nevertheless, such understanding does not excuse us from enquiring why we, the citizens of a self-governing republic, allow this pernicious practice of long-term concealment of public information to persist.

A primary school in Clondalkin that has been housed in second-hand prefabs for the last 14 years has finally been assigned land on which to build a new school.

God's science project: The resurgence of religion in the United States and the cultivation of the religious vote by George Bush has given rise to a “culture war” in American intellectual life, a battle between scientific rationalism and religious faith which is focused on the theory of evolution and its implications for the existence of God.

€2m will be spent on implementing new Act despite government assurance that no significant financial implications would be incurred. By Emma Browne

There are 190,303 children  in Ireland who have special needs requirements, according to estimates published by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). That is nearly one-fifth of all Irish children.

Andy Hinds, director of Classic Stage Ireland (CSI), has described a decision by the Arts Council not to fund a CSI production as “extraordinary” and “unacceptable”. CSI applied to the Arts Council for two grants in 2006. The first application was a grant to commission playright Tom Kilroy to do further work on his new play, Christ Deliver Us, a version of the 1890s German classic Spring Awakening by Wedekind. The second application was for part-funding of €90,000 to produce the play in four Dublin theatres in May 2007.

Recent ESRI report criticises lack of ‘research, studies, evaluations, or documentations' as well as no cost benefit analysis. By Emma Browne

The Health and Safety Authority has issued twenty three construction-related prosecutions this year. Last year, 13,000 people were injured on sites. By Frank Connolly

The Irish Hospital Consultants' Association (IHCA) has written to the HSE to tell it that “major deficits exist” in relation to the implementation of part two of the Mental Health Act, 2001 which came in on 1 November.