Yet another tale of fiscal rectitude in times of boom. When the minister in charge of millennium projects, Seamus Brennan, (as opposed to the minister in charge of millennium parties, James McDaid) was putting the arm on Charlie McCreevy for another £5 million or so, the civil servants kept turning him down. Brennan continued to press his case and eventually a Department of Finance mandarin blurted out that the reason he couldn't have the money was because it would set a precedent. The astonished Brennan replied that he doubted the department itself, let alone McCreevy and his officials, would be around in the year 3000. Now Brennan is wondering if his Millennium Committee's request to the Department of Justice for all-night pub opening on December 31st will elicit the same response.