Politico

The day of the count in the donegal by-election in November 1980 was the low point in Garret FitzGerald's leadership of Fine Gael. The party had dropped votes to a Government which Fine Gael fondly believed would prove easy opponents in the looming general election. The promise which tantalized Fine Gael of a major reversal in electoral fortunes seemed about to dissipate. Within days of that set-back there came together, at first informally, a group of backroom Fine Gael strategists

Dr. Teeling was in a hurry. He had a surgery at 4pm and he'd like to be called to give evidence first, if that would be alright? No, it wasn't, said the Coroner, Dr. Bofin. Finbar Lynagh was already being sworn in to give testimony in the inquest on the death of his brother. There were six jurors present and five lawyers - representing Finbar's family, the gardai, the Prisoners' Rights Organisation, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and the Department of Justice. They were here, said Dr. Bof

The costs of the health services have increased eleven-fold in the last 12 years. The major beneficiaries have been the doctors, the pharmacists, the drug companies and the politicians who have retained votes by opposing the rationalisation of the hospital service. The health of the community has marginally worsened.

In the 13 years since the Devlin Report was published on the reform of the public service, none of its recommendations have been implemented, bar the settng up of another Department. In the period, the number of public servants has doubled and the cost of their pay and pensions is not £2,391m, almost half of all public expenditure.