"Challenging. Very challenging."

Labour finance spokesperson Joan Burton's verdict as she emerges "ashen-faced" from her briefing on the dire state of the country's books

"The figure of adjustment published already in the government plans was €7.5bn. With lower growth rates projected, the level of adjustment is going to be significantly higher than that."

Michael Noonan, FG finance spokesman, prophesies severe pain, if not doom, after his peek at the stats

"Wagner is a lovely man, he really is, but he's not my type."

X Factor contestant mary byrne rules out rumours of romance with fellow finalist, Brazilian Wagner Carrilho

"If I was to offer advice to Wayne, who is a good lad, I would tell him to make sure he looks after number one. Players are pieces of meat, that's how I look at it."

Roy Keane On dealing with Alex Ferguson

"Wayne has apologised to me and the players. He will also do so with the supporters."

Ferguson shows "the boy" who's boss

"The government is broke now. It has to sell its holdings. In the end, it will sell Aer Lingus as well."

Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary launches another assault on Aer Lingus – and the government – this time to our friends in Germany through the 'Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung'

"There'd be uproar from all sides if a toddler died in similar circumstances. What's the difference? Both are innocent, with a right to life."

Rosanna Davison tweets her outrage at the wallaby forcibly invited to a 30th birthday bash

"The programme is constructed as an entertainment programme, not a current affairs programme and the Fianna Fáil representative becomes the entertainment."

Limerick West FF TD Niall Collins on Pat Kenny's RTE television show 'The Frontline'.

""We have a man who was 625metres below ground and, up above, a billionaire takes his property."

Chilean writer Pablo Huneeus on why he has copyrighted the words "Estamos bien en el refugio los 33 (We are well in the refuge – the 33) on the note written by miner Jose Ricardo Ojeda Vidal, which President Pinera has appropriated to show world leaders on his foreign tour.