It was physical, it was psychological, it was emotional and it was sexual

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams reveals that his father, also Gerry, had abused family members. The admission was made following revelations that his brother Liam had abused his own daughter

I could find no one better than a former chairman of the Revenue Commissioners

Finance minister Brian Lenihan on naming the board of Nama including its chairman Frank Daly

If I have to sell my own house – and I mean that – I will put it on the line because we cannot turn our backs on these children and I know we won't

Adi Roche on the importance of continuing support for the Chernobyl Children's Project. There was a 75% drop this year in support for the charity's Christmas appeal

Have a goal and don't stop a third of the way or half way. Stay there until you get a result, and it has to be the right result

John Bryan following his successful election as president of the Irish Farmers Association (IFA)

We are talking about very major decisions being taken by very young people. I believe it would be very important that parents would still have a say in what young people do under the age of 18

Rose Tully of the National Parents Council on controversial proposals to allow teenagers access to contraception

The government has clearly indicated that it does not believe that quality, effective public services are important to ordinary members of the public, including parents, children, young people, pensioners and workers.

John White, general secretary of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland, whose members have threatened rolling half-day strikes over pay cuts

My advice, as a Christian priest, is to shoplift

The Rev Tim Jones, of York, England, saying theft from larger organisations was legitimate for poor people

He accepts that all such implications and statements are false and defamatory of Mr Quinlivan. He withdraws the claims in their entirety and apologises to Mr Quinlivan, both for making them and for denying having made them in court injunction proceedings taken by Mr Quinlivan to prevent their repetition

The apology by defence minister Willie O'Dea who admitted to defaming Sinn Féin councillor Maurice Quinlivan