Exchequer returns - Jumping the gun

IF a drowning man clutches at a straw and it turns out to be a green shoot that will do much more than save his life what’s not to like?

If that green shoot, however tender, is a genuine indication of a longed-for economic lift then we can all consider breathing a small sigh of relief.

Speaking yesterday in Maynooth, Taoiseach Brian Cowen, long before the embargo on yesterday’s exchequer returns passed, said he was encouraged that “we are expecting today’s tax returns to come in on target”.