I didn't quite catch that...

Alliance leader David Ford is a little miffed that the Executive is sending seven ministers to a little get-together in Washington DC. His objection is that it’s not really in the best interest of the local budget for so many to be going.

And I can see his point. I mean, that’s seven round trips; fourteen flights. Not the most efficient use of money, not getting a massive return, and not spending said money in the best interests of Norn Iron folk.

Just think, if they’d spent that money on fourteen one way tickets, then a nice swathe would have been cut through the numbers at the trough. In which case we’d all win.

Except the poor Americans, of course, but I’m sure they could handle the situation themselves…

And just in case you think I’m joking, can anyone remember any serious trouble at St Patrick’s Day parades? Not recently. And not since all the local politicians started spending the day on the eastern seaboard of the US. Coincidence?