There was almost a note of envy in the speech delivered by Bertie Ahern at last week's Ireland India Business and Economic Association's Commemoration of 50 Years of India's Independence.

The Taoiseach recalled a trip he made to India's Department of Finance and Economic Planning and harked back to his days as Minister for Finance in a country of over 3.5 million people.

"I always wanted to see what it is like to control eight million people," he confided.

Mr Ahern was also in awe of the logistics involved in organising a general election in the subcontinent, saying, by contrast, that he knew it was "a long way to some parts of Mayo".