On Monday 24 November, I started my day at 11 a.m. in Dunlavin school in County Wicklow, addressing the youngsters for an hour and a half. I then went to get the afternoon flight to Brussels and worked in my office until 9.30 p.m., with one short meeting at 7 p.m. The next morning I flew back to Dublin with the European Monetary Affairs Committee – there is no Irish representative on the committee and I was asked to accompany its members. We had meetings with Mr. John Hurley, the governor of the Central Bank, the Stock Exchange, the Minister for Finance, IBEC and others. It was a very interesting day. We finished in IBEC at 9 p.m. after supper and I was asked if would I take the committee to a famous Irish pub for a pint. I do not know when I was last in a pub in Dublin but I delivered and found a well known watering hole on Baggot Street. The next morning I tried to fly back to attend an environment committee because the issue of veterinary medicines was being debated, including my amendment. I missed my flight at Dublin Airport and got re-routed through Amsterdam. The Amsterdam connection was cancelled because of fog and I ended up taking a bus from Amsterdam to Brussels so I will not describe the humour I was in when I arrived on Wednesday night.