Why the frock did we waste €3million?
Communion dress farce has to end
SO JUST when I thought I had heard it all, I woke this week to the news that last year taxpayers shelled out over €3million to buy Holy Communion dresses for disadvantaged families. As if there weren't enough problems from the legacy of the iron grip of the Catholic church on this country.
Like many people, this was the first I had heard of this payment, and I have to say it really pi**es me off. As a Finglas child, born and
reared, money was never exactly flush in our house when I was growing up in the '80s. It wasn't flush anywhere.
Frugal
We were a frugal bunch us Brunkers, but then my family were born into the Church of Ireland so we were, as my 'Catholic' husband will occasionally tease me, the 'dirty-heathen-prods!' I'm all for putting a smile on a child's face and showing them all a nice day out.
But to give a child €200 to go buy a dress so they can then go around all their relatives and neighbours and tap money off them is daylight robbery!
Maybe there should have been a payback scheme out of the cash gifts that have become such as integral part of these days. It seems that at least someone in Government has woken up and seen that these €3m or more in payments every year could be much
better served in other areas of the community. But even now they are just reducing the grants rather than abolishing them.
As the country is being hit with a wide variety of cutbacks in education and health it shocks me that an overpriced and unnecessary
frock is deemed more important to the disadvantaged than a functioning health or education system, a muchneeded carers allowance, an SNA in a school for needy children or for an old person who is afraid to turn on the lights or the heat in their house because they can't pay their bills.
To add insult to injury Mary Lou McDonald stood to defend the payment in the same week that we learned she had claimed a whopping €31,865 in expenses despite living in Dublin.
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THAT'S NAT SUCH A NICE THING TO HAPPEN ON TV
GOD love Operation Transformation leader Natalie Cox. This week the entire nation learned of her constipation problem and the fact that she had her period.
In hindsight I'm sure Natalie kicks herself for not tipping Dr Eva off about her predicament but rest assured Nat, it's nothing to be embarrassed about and honestly it could've been a lot worse.
As all-woman Dolly Parton would sing, "Sometimes it's hard to be a woman..." So don't be worrying, better luck next week. The things we girls endure to lose a few pounds eh?
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Breslin's face fits with female fans
EVERYONE knows I love reality TV. I've competed in enough shows and even judged a few of them, but as this year's The Voice of Ireland proves, talent won't always win out, and popularity is key every time.
Paddy Power is now tipping top totty Niall Breslin, aka Bressie, as their favourite to win the show and I bet they're on the money.
Despite the superb credentials of the other judges AND the fact that this is supposed to be a show purely about the 'talent', you can
be guaranteed the gorgeous Bressie will pull in the extra votes from the young girls.
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JEDWARD are certain to win the coveted honour to represent Ireland at this year's Eurovision - or are they? If I'm honest and I had my own choice, I'd send Una Gibney (right) because she has without doubt the best lungs, the prettiest face and the sexiest midriff in the business. 
IT'S good to know that even the youngins are feelin the cold.