Hard choices have already been made and the focus has been on the main national routes, which carry most of the traffic. Now that supplies are running so low, more hard choices will have to be made

A spokesman for the National Roads Authority after it emerged a lack of grit would force the closure of many roads

I think the response is a local response, and the local authority response has been there for the last 20 days dealing with the weather conditions as they have emerged and evolved

Taoiseach Brian Cowen defends the government's response to the weather conditions

My first knowledge of Iris's inappropriate relationship came about midnight on March 1st last year — the night she tried to take her own life. Each single morning since then I have asked for the strength to carry this burden

Peter Robinson, DUP leader, reveals details of his wife Iris's affair with 21-year-old Kirk McCambley

Over a year-and-a-half ago, I was involved in a relationship. It began completely innocently when I gave support to someone following a family death. I encouraged friends to assist him by providing financial support for a business venture. Regrettably, the relationship later developed into a brief affair

Iris Robinson's statement about her affair on Wednesday

She looked out for me to make sure I was okay

Kirk McCambley

I will act in the best interests of the country and in accordance with any medical advice received

Finance minister Brian Lenihan in his statement on his illness

The report was a legitimate and important news story because it was professionally and properly sourced and because the minister's health is a matter of public interest

A TV3 statement defending the station's decision to break the news of Lenihan's illness on St Stephen's Day

We would like to kindly ask you to return that sample

Slovak authorities send a message to Irish bag handlers in Dublin airport after accidentally allowing potentially lethal explosives to be smuggled onboard a plane into Ireland

Of course, he didn't like everything, but his criticism was always compassionate. He was never cruel, ever. Nor was he ever self-serving. For him the love [of cinema] was indistinguishable from his very self

Daniel Day Lewis speaking at the funeral of Irish Times film critic Michael Dwyer