The slow rise and sudden fall of Ivor Callely. By Vincent Browne and John Byrne

Payments of €500,000 to councillors coincided with the rezoning of lands that have now become the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre. As a direct consequence, an already disadvantaged community has been further disadvantaged. The Planning Tribunal has commenced public hearings that will involve 88 witnesses and tens of thousands of documents – unless prevented by the Courts. By Vincent Browne

Climate change is the biggest challenge facing our society today. Ireland can and should lead the way in tackling this problem head-on, The way to achieve the dramatic greenhouse gas reductions necessary to avoid the serious repercussions of climate change is to implement far-reaching, radical solutions. There is no reason for us to hang back and follow whatever international response may emerge. We must use our initiative and take action now.

The "instruction" issued by Pope Benedict XVI on the criteria for "the discernment of vocations with regard to persons with homosexual tendencies in view of their admission to the seminary and to holy orders" is deeply offensive. This is not only because of the inveterate prejudice the document exhibits towards homosexuals, but also the indifference, of which the document speaks silently but eloquently, to other "tendencies" among those attracted to the Catholic priesthood.

Eamon Casey returns to haunt an already cowed Irish Catholic hierarchy. By Vincent Browne.

Three prominent members of Fine Gael: its leader, Enda Kenny, its best-known Senator and MEP, Jim Higgins, and a spokesperson, Paul Keogh, have all aligned themselves with anti-Traveller sentiment. By Vincent Browne

Michael McDowell's crime package represents another failure to deal with social problems and an indifference to the most serious crime phenomenon, sex crime

Barristers representing gardaí, some of whom failed to cooperate with the Morris Tribunal, were paid almost €4.6 million in fees, while the victims of some of these gardaí, the McBreartys, were denied guarantee on their legal costs.

Prejudice against the Traveller community is now a fact of life in Irish society. It is as ugly, crude and vicious as the racism which prevailed in the southern states of America 50 years ago, founded on ignorance, bigotry and intolerance of the African-American community. But now, for the first time, a national political figure, Enda Kenny, leader of the Opposition, has joined that campaign and contributed his own mite of poison to the well of hate and hostility.

Padraig Nally deliberately killed an already seriously injured man who was limping away from Nally's property. The Fine Gael leader has aligned himself with those who believe Nally was unjustly convicted and sentenced to six years' imprisonment. By Vincent Browne