Like many of you, this week we were surprised to learn that at least one Government-Funded agency thinks that the top problem that requires solving in the country is….. grandparents hugging their grandchildren without asking permission.
John actually broke that story on Wednesday, before it went around the world with millions of people asking themselves a single question: What on earth is wrong with Ireland.
But of course, it’s a matter of priorities, isn’t it? It’s not necessarily a bad thing, perhaps, to consider asking a kid if he or she wants a hug before enveloping them with your big huge adult arms - but is this a problem that requires a television ad campaign? It’s a weird country that would answer yes.
But then, it is a weird country. It’s a country in which a 14 year old girl is being - by all accounts - repeatedly raped and the Minister for Children, in whose care the child is, is neither expected nor required by Media or Opposition to so much as comment.
It’s a country too that spent much of the week at war with itself over whether the Dáil or the House of Commons should have the final say on where our own Government sends our soldiers: Sarah and John find themselves on slightly opposite sides of that one.
And it’s a country where Sinn Fein TDs lead charities in their spare time, only to find those charities investigated, apparently, for having piles and piles of money, BMW X5’s, and rolex watches. Then there’s the Fine Gael Party, convulsed in internal rows and bitterness.
There aren’t as many jokes as usual, this week - and there was a weird glitch at 46 minutes when the recording decided to drop, so forgive us that.
But it is, on balance, a good conversation. We hope you enjoy it.
J&S
