The closing date for this year's Young Business Writers Award is December 5th. Offering prizes of £1,000 for the overall winner on the third-level competition and £750 for the winner at second-level, students are invited to submit a 1,000-word essay on a business-related topic. Among the topics are: `A small country like Ireland can do little to enforce fair competition', `Do trade unions still have a valuable role to play in Irish society', `Selfsustained international competitiveness among indigenous firms is essential to continued prosperity in Ireland', "Ireland's `Celtic Tiger Economy' is as mythical as William Blake's "...tiger burning bright in the forests of the night','` and "The McCracken Tribunal's report marks a turning point in the relationship between Irish business and politics".

There are also tax-related topics on: "The decision by the EU to abolish duty free sales for air and sea travellers is a triumph of bureaucracy over economics", "The reason for tax evasion is high tax rates not greed", and "The annual audit fee represents good value for money for the shareholders of Irish publicly quoted companies".

Other topics are: "The increased emphasis on teamwork in business undervalues the role of leadership in management" and "The use of technology in service industries is stifling the value of the personal touch". The awards are being sponsored by Coopers & Lybrand accountants and McCann Fitzgerald solicitors, organised by Dublin City University (DCU) and supported by The Irish Times.

Entry forms are available from DCU Business School (Tel: 017045820).