The Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy, has abandoned the so-called Budget briefcase, but reports that he will enter Leinster House on Wednesday empty-handed to crack the whip on drinkers, smokers and other miscreants are greatly exaggerated. Will he use the golf bag (right) to carry his bulky statement with the words Big Budget, or is it Big Bertie, on the side?
No. Quidnunc is informed the Minister is now on the information superhighway and a special high-tech briefcase, probably in perspex to show off the laptop inside, is being sought. The whole Budget pack will be available on 700 discs and also by email and on the Internet, instead of page by page as in the past. The bag shown right came courtesy of the Ballybunion Bill Clinton Support Committee to thank him for unveiling the Clinton statue in the town last September.