You will remember how the government tried to change the result of a vote on the Finance Bill during the week (by tabling said amendment for debate again) because Brian Lenihan and other government TD’s forgot to oppose it.

Well it seems that the furore caused by this attempt to distort the Dáil record by the Government aided and abetted by the Ceann Comhairle causes the Government Chief Whip to miss his trip to America to attend a St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Harry McGee refers to it as due to procedural wrangles’.

It also emerged yesterday that Government Chief Whip Pat Carey had to cancel his planned trip to Houston in Texas. The cancellation happened because of procedural wrangles in the Dáil on Wednesday over the Finance Bill. Mr Carey was obliged to stay in the Dáil that afternoon, which resulted in him missing his scheduled flight.

Hmm? The government fecked up on Tuesday and fecked up even more on Wednesday trying to reverse a vote.  So are they now trying to blame all this on the opposition?