Enda Kenny has been talking to his imaginary friend again

PHANTOMS and faint hearts dominated another week when Ireland’s political leaders left reality behind them. Taoiseach Enda Kenny had one of his conveniently frequent encounters with a nameless soul who just happened to present him with the perfect political metaphor to justify his unpopular policies.

As we have noted before, the number of such transient, walk-on bit players who helpfully prop up a political stance without ever having to come forward is reaching epic proportions.

Defending the April Fool’s Day release of water-tax bills, Mr Kenny told the Dáil: “The man who stopped me with the two pints in his hand last week was shouting about the cost of water that he couldn’t pay for. And I said to him, what he was holding in his hands would pay for water for him — because I know him — for nearly 10 weeks.”