Around the time of the launch of the Fianna Fáil manifesto, a document which, when presented on television, produced as much entertainment as the Punch and Judy show, and also around the time when the money was thrown around like confetti, Champagne Charlie, the Minister for Finance, wrote to an honourable and decent politician in the other House, Deputy Noonan, and assured him: "I can confirm that there are no significant overruns projected and no cutbacks whatsoever are being planned, secretly or otherwise". One does not need a degree in politics or economics to know that such plain and simple English tells us that the Minister was either taking us for a massive ride or he was telling lies. It is simply one or the other.