Smoke screen:The chief executive of the Convenience Stores and Newsagent Association of Ireland Vincent Jennings believes that a proposed ban on the display of tobacco, tobacco products and tobacco advertising in all shops is "too onerous" and should be delayed for a number of years.

Jennings said the cost to retailers of complying with the new regulations would be "between €1,000 and €5,000 at a time when retailers are already put to the pin of their collar". But if it reduced the number of young people who smoked wouldn't that be a price worth paying?

Bad lines for eircom

Ah, eircom, why do you treat us so badly? According to an EU report, key services of the former State company are "expensive and unreliable". The EU Commission report found that eircom's landline charge of €25 per month was the highest in the EU, its wholesale services were criticised, and access for competitors to the network was called "expensive and unreliable".