It went over his head (and it wasn’t a plane)

NOEL Dempsey couldn’t slump down much further into his chair as the Dáil chamber erupted.

But then he should be well used to things going over his head — like the fact Aer Lingus was planning to shaft Shannon. Dublin Airport Authority knew, Belfast knew, and even his senior officials knew a full six weeks before Mr Dempsey’s says anyone bothered to tell him.

Arms smugly folded, slouched and glaring at the chamber ceiling he looked more like the Minister for Teenage Stroppiness than the Minister for Transport. He kept quiet, but his body language screamed out: “It’s sooo unfair!”.