The Archbishop of Dublin has warned that the nation is being sucked into a society that has lost its way.
In his New Year message the Most Reverend Dr John Neill says people's value systems are increasingly being linked to wealth and what he called a shallow celebrity culture.
He also said that while the drug culture in the country is about addiction, it is also about wealth, self-gratification and criminal activity, including murder.
Dr Neill said the New Year was an opportunity to ponder a new direction.
