Drama is one thing but there’s no smoke without a free cigar

IT APPEARS there’s a Government politician who has used a state company to supply Christmas gifts for his friends.

There's another who is trawling around to try to find a private entrepreneur who will build a new national theatre for Ireland without, of course, compromising its national status. What both of these politicians have in common, it seems, is that they don't want to pay their bills.

In the case of the politician who had the brandy and cigars delivered to his office, the bill is a personal one. So it's urgent very urgent. The politician who doesn't want to fund a new national theatre is trying to avoid paying a political bill. And that's very important. Let's have a look at each of them in turn.