They were economical with only one thing - the truth

THE Minister for Finance, Restitution and Straitened Circumstances, Charlie McCreevy, and his outgoing Cabinet colleagues, did what any prudent publican would do when moving to new premises — give away free drink and whisper sweet nothings in our ears.

What did we expect truth, justice and the house swept clean for seven other devils worse than themselves ?

OK. So they played Santa Claus from time to time, but they were generous possibly even profligate and the only thing they were economical with was the truth.

And that was for our own good.

For who wants to listen to a moaner when there's money to be burned.

Now, it's become a kind of Catch-22. Charlie has the money, bags of it, but some of it has to be put into a hole in the ground to keep it out of the hands of robbers.

Some of it has to go into other black holes like our space exploration programme, hospital administration and gearing up for the next election which doesn't come cheap no matter which political persuasion you subscribe to.

The rest will be used wisely.

First, in May, 2004, the ten new EU members will come on stream, opening up all sorts of opportunities.

Then the Special Savings Incentive Accounts (SSIAs) will start to spew out taxpayers' cash to those wise investors who trimmed their lamps to clothe the dark.

Finally, when we begin to tire of simple bread and chocolate, a cry will go up: "Let the circus begin."

And another coterie of true believers will walk out bravely to face the lions in the white heat of another election.

Would you have it an other way?

Richard Dowling

Coote St,

Mountrath,

Co Laois.