Healthcare and the problems surrounding it are of constant concern to regional newspapers. In the current issue of the Drogheda Independent a front-page report tells us that "plans to provide a specialist breast cancer unit in the north-east have been set back for years. Members of the North Eastern Health Board (NEHB) were told [this] when they voted to locate the unit in Navan instead of Drogheda."
The Meath Chronicle takes up the story under a headline which proclaims "Navan to become region's cancer centre after vote". The report says: "A controversial vote by members of the North Eastern Health Board led to angry reaction from NEHB officials at a meeting on Monday."
The report says local councillor Tommy Reilly, "believes that the service could be up and running in Navan within three years".
The same paper says: "Our creaking health service is, once again, the focus of public and media attention as tales of bed closures and patients forced to spend nights in pain on trolleys in hospital corridors begin to feature prominently in newspapers and on the local and national airwaves. Come the next general election, healthcare will be a major issue, perhaps even the major issue to the voters."
The Anglo Celt has reservations on the same subject. "Confusion reigns at health board" it says in a headline and adds: "The location of the North Eastern Health Board breast disease treatment service is still up in the air following a most confusing health board meeting in Kells."
The Sligo Champion declares in its editorial: "It is time the Government accepted the reality of appalling deficiencies in the country's health service. The stark truth is that there is serious under-investment and chronic shortfalls in the system." The Munster Express reports: "The outgoing head of cancer services at Waterford Regional Hospital (leading specialist Seamus O'Reilly) this week delivered a parting shot at the Government over the absence of radiotherapy treatment at Ardkeen, contrasting it with the millions being committed to sports stadia."
The Longford Leader gives prominence to the same subject. It reports: "Longford's health services to suffer further blows as emergency cover in the casualty unit will no longer be provided throughout weekday nights, with the impending departure of rostered doctors."
The Longford News agrees. "The ongoing state of the health services and, more recently, the latest situation pertaining to the casualty services in our town is proving to be an ongoing and tedious cause for concern."
"Don't get sick at night in Longford," the Longford Leader proclaims in its leading article.
All the regional papers carry official advertising in regard to the forthcoming referendums. Several also devote space to local arguments for and against.
The Nationalist and Leinster Times gives space to Cllr Mary White of the Green Party, who says: "The Government is fully aware that if it were to honestly market the Nice Treaty the voters wouldn't buy it. Yes to Europe, No to Nice," is her motto.
The Fine Gael TD, Mr John Browne, argues: "Because of the benefits gained since 1973, we now have a country which is an example to all others with our prosperity surpassing that of nations [which] in the past would be streets ahead of us."
The Waterford News and Star seeks balance in its editorial. It sets out the options and says: "In a democracy the final decision is ours - we have a vote - or in this case three votes and we should make sure we use them to make our views known - whatever they are."
Elsewhere in the same paper there is an advertisement from the Waterford United Club which says: "If you think you have the potential to achieve League of Ireland standard at soccer and are willing to commit to a full-time 12-month course we want to hear from you."
The advertisement is placed side by side with a photograph of the former Irish international, Paul McGrath, with a smiling local youngster, Richard Walsh.
Sporting matters always get widespread coverage in the local papers. This week the Limerick Leader goes so far as to devote its main editorial to the fact that Limerick's hurlers beat Cork in the Munster championship in Pairc Ui Chaoimh.
It says: "That the Limerick squad included players of budding talent was acknowledged even by the many pessimists. What astonished everyone, however, was that this talent should flower so early and in such profusion on so hostile a soil."
The Leinster Leader gives even more colourful coverage to a sporting theme in it sport supplement. It contains a striking colour photograph of the Kildare football team in playing gear and with its back-up officials in blazers, posing at a beautiful water feature in the St Fiachra Gardens in Kildare.