I cannot contain my excitement as a result of the declaration by the Government Chief Whip that the Taoiseach is going to add to the Laurel and Hardyesque performance by the Ministers for Finance and for Public Expenditure and Reform that we were all subjected to yesterday in the Lower House.

This is in the national interest.

The Government may feel it is appropriate to spend a valuable week’s time regurgitating old news over and over again.

We had to get away from the fantasy economics on the other side of the House.

Even the most loyal commentators in some of the news and media outlets that support this Government-----

There are some loyal commentators.

-----said it was a farce and that both Ministers could have summed up all they had to say in four minutes, instead of the 57 minutes they spent delivering this so-called spring statement. I look forward to hearing what the Taoiseach has to add to this particular farce this afternoon.

They did not expect it to put a spring in Senator Wilson’s step but he does not have to hang on their every word.

I commend the Government Chief Whip here in the Seanad on his loyalty and dedication in repeating exactly what he said here yesterday in defence of that farce.

I thought I was speaking on a different subject yesterday.