Working Lunch (weekdays 1.30 p.m., BBC2) is doing a good job of presenting the daily business and finance news during the current crisis.

Ear to the Ground (Monday, 8.30 p.m., RT╔1) looks at foot-and-mouth in Britain and asks if it should opt for a vaccination programme. What are the implications for Irish farmers and the economy with such a deadly enemy lurking in the British countryside? Have Irish farmers dropped their guard, and what precautions are necessary to keep the Republic foot-and-mouth free?

In the return of the series True Lives - At The Cutting Edge: New Bodies For Old (Tuesday, 10.05 p.m., RT╔1), it is reported that cosmetic surgery is now a booming Irish business. The programme claims the Republic has become the new entrepreneurial zone for surgeons from Europe. Noticing an increase in demand from Irish customers, Italian twin cosmetic surgeons Maurizio and Roberto Viel visit the Republic regularly to meet prospective patients.

Home Sweet Home - The Crisis Years (1980-1990) (Tuesday, 7.30 p.m., Network 2) is the fourth programme in this repeat series about the history of public housing in the Republic. It looks at the decade when many of the State's building targets were met and waiting lists were greatly reduced.

Britain has a lot of experience of integrating immigrants and the second programme in a new series, Welcome to Britain (Monday, 11.05 p.m., BBC1) examines the Immigration Department.

Channel 4 is becoming obsessed with property investment programmes.

A Place In The Sun (Monday 5 p.m.) explores Europe and summer sun locations. The properties range from a shepherd's hut to a grand chateau.

Location, Location, Location (Wednesday, 8.30 p.m.) asks whether buying property is a good investment, and recruits the skills of two professionals to secure the best possible property for the most competitive price.

Property Ladder (Thursday, 8 p.m.) follows six homeowners as they develop their properties to make money. It aims to show viewers how to find the right property to develop and how to increase its value.

sokelly@irish-times.ie