Fraudster Breifne O'Brien (remember him?) has been found holed up in Kilkenny keeping his head down while gardai continue to investigate him.

However, the fact that they haven't even interviewed him yet doesn't exactly speak to a speedy outcome to resolve the cases of the poor people duped by his fantastical pyramid scheme.

Meanwhile, his former socialite wife, Fiona Nagle, continues to live in the monstrosity that was the family home in Glenageary. The pair, by all accounts, continue to live off the taxi firm they founded in Sandyford, but clearly not in the style to which they have become accustomed.

Indeed, Ms Nagle appealed to the court earlier this year for the €4,000-a-week expenses she would find it impossible to live without. We all do, love.

Earlier this month, she told the court she couldn't even afford a lawyer.

It's been nearly a whole year since the self-styled financial whizzkid was found to have tricked so many people, largely good friends and family members, out of €18m and yet his assets, which were frozen by the courts in January when they were worth considerably more than they are now, are dropping in value by the day.

They include bank shares (no joy there, naturally), an Aston Martin car and properties all over the place. All have been seized but the chances of his victims getting their money back would appear to be dwindling by the day.

Although nobody disputes that the web of deceit that the gardai have to weave their way through is complex, to say the least, surely things should be moving on even a little.

Woodwork

Judge Peter Kelly in the commercial court was able, after one short hearing, to slap an order preventing O'Brien from selling any of his assets.

And it was he who alerted the fraud squad as to O'Brien's nefarious doings after victims began emerging, some reluctantly, from the woodwork.

They include farmers Robert and Louis Dowley, who gave O'Brien €3m between them.

Others duped were people O'Brien had known for 20 years who unwittingly entrusted him with their cash.

It seems that some organs of the State can move exceedingly speedily when warranted -- but why not others?

Stop blame game and start talking

Look, today is a disaster. 250,000 State workers are out on the streets. On one hand, it's difficult to work out what will be achieved by downing tools, even though, like the brave emergency workers dealing with flooding, some ignored the call to action.

There are many nurses, teachers and other workers who would prefer to be at work but have to obey their unions.

We don't mind the anger -- it's completely justified. We all feel it. But at some point -- and fairly urgently -- we need to realise that this debate simply is not about public versus private. It can't even be about rich or poor.

There are talks starting now. That's good. Let's hope we can be rational.

Sure, we're all angry, frustrated and downright furious with a government who, in power for over a decade have got us to this sorry state with their grandiose pandering to developers, bankers and yes, public sector unions.

Government bodies have said that a "Christmas Day level of service" operated today, but it's far from a happy Christmas that any of us will have if we can't see some light at the end of the tunnel, rather than a permanent blame game.

Public sector workers were not the only ones aggrieved today. Many parents had to take time off work to mind their children -- unpaid leave, or a precious 'holiday'.

It's all very well being angry, but until the unions realise that we are all -- without exception -- in this together, none of us will ever get out.

Let's try to find solutions together and not cause hardship to each other along the way.

Dear Santy, I'd like a tax-free bike

Bicycle sales are up by all accounts. Does the 'cycle to work scheme' launched by the Government mean we are choosing the healthier way to work? Well, no and yes, it seems.

With no pesky forms to fill out, no revenue notification and up to 41pc tax free, workers appear keen to get their companies to sign up so that they can go out and buy a bike.

But the word on the streets is that some have realised that there's nothing stopping them giving the cycles to their teenagers instead, leaving family wallets healthier at an expensive time of the year. Like many grandiose plans from the Greens, it seems this one might not have taken into account the Irish knack for spotting a loophole.

Cheats face lie detector for payouts

Some of those in need of a few bob think that it's about time all those expensive insurance premiums they've been paying over the years should be returned to them -- even if they haven't a legitimate claim. Let's hope they don't have a policy with Hibernian Aviva.

It is introducing 'lie detector' software on its hotlines to catch perpetrators of fraudulent claims outright.

It might sound a tad over the top, but keeping costs down is better for everyone, even those tempted to make a few bob for Christmas the easy way.

Look out Stephen, I've joined you on Twitter...

Hearing that Stephen Fry finally has a million followers and I have none was the catalyst that made me finally sign up to Twitter. Colleagues can't believe I'm not a member, and tell me it's great for research, so one made me join. My PR pal Sinead Ryan (yeah, I know, don't go there) had already nabbed the same so the creative juices started flowing and I am now sinead_ryan. Unique, or what?

I have no idea what to do next. Half of my email address book seem to be twitterers (if that is the collective noun). I'm terrified I'll have nothing useful to contribute, but it seems absolutely nobody else does either. I'll tweet something inane like most people seem to do and see how I get on. Or maybe I'll just sit back and check it out for a while, if that's not too lame. Fry, king of the tweeters, seems to get by: "Well, for heaven's sake. It's another day. They just seem to keep relentlessly coming, one after another after another after another. Sheesh."

Is that it? I don't feel so nervous after all.

- Sinead Ryan