Ministers must lead dreadfully boring lives, what with all those ribbons to be cut, companies and projects to be launched, cornerstones to be laid or, in the case of technology events, mouses to be clicked.

Minister for Public Enterprise Mary O'Rourke showed that she knows what's up.

In Tipperary last week to launch the upgraded education and research network HEAnet, the Minister was asked ceremoniously to come forward and click the mouse to "activate" the network.

"Now, you've already done it, haven't you? You're only pretending, I know," she said to much laughter, but gamely clicked anyway.