THE Sunday Independent business pages have given Michael Smurfit a hard time on the elevation of his sons to high positions in the company.appointments at Independent Newspapers. Tony O'Reilly's son, Gavin, has been appointed head of production operations in Abbey Street.

Meanwhile, the man to replace him as managing director of Independent Directories is none other than Garret Doyle, who is the son of Irish Independent editor Vinny Doyle.