So you want to be a TD? The average wannabe stands a better chance of success if he/she happens to be a teacher (it used to be that farmers were in the ascent in Leinster House, but now there are 38 teachers); is married with 3.4 children (it used to be 4.2) already has a relative in the Dail (there are 23 sons, seven daughters and half a dozen grandchildren of politicians in this cosmos); has the Taurus birth sign (23 are born under the Bull)
These are among the 250,000 facts to be found in Nealon's Guide to the 28th Dail and Seanad, which was launched last night in Leinster House by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern.
The standard reference book of Irish politics, which serves as a directory to the Oireachtas - and furnishes lots of engaging data besides - is the ninth in the Nealon series and, according to a sanguine Taoiseach, no other will be required for five years.
Author Ted Nealon, himself a former Fine Gael TD for Sligo-Leitrim, began collating biographical material on all Oireachtas members immediately after the elections. It took three months of solid work to assemble the details.
He came across novel information. For example, Fianna Fail's Donegal TD, Cecelia Keaveney, reached eighth grade at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in clarinet, violin and singing. Her independent colleague from Wicklow, Mildred Fox, is a good Gaelic footballer.
That aside, the book reveals that female representation in the Dail has taken a knock. There were 20 women among the 166 TDs after the 1992 election and that grew to 23 in the lifetime of the 27th Dail. Alas, it is back to 20 again.
The figure has not changed much in the 24 years Mr Nealon has been assembling his guide. In 1973, there were four women TDs - three of them widows of former Deputies and one daughter who took her father's seat.
Last night the author told the gathering in the Dail bar that, unfortunately, he did not have one for everyone in the audience. However, TDs and senators can purchase it for £10 rather than the £12.50 marked price in the shops.