ALTHOUGH Brian Lenihan said in London, attempting to recover lost ground in the media blitz on Ireland’s property woes over the last while, that we were over- dependent on property (surprise, surprise) he might be comforted by similar comments from his counterparts in other EU countries.

A colleague watching TV current affairs discussions in a country which receives programmes from three neighbouring states was struck by the similarity of content. Not only did they have their own versions of Miriam OCallaghan, but the format was exactly as we have grown weary of here. Across several networks government spokesperson valiantly defending fiscal measures were abused by opposition counterparts out of Central Casting and Bruton sound-alikes. They have their own George Lees, mildly professorial and “I told you so, while the downturn is variously blazoned as Le Crisis, La Crisis or Crisis! We’re totally European in our economic travails.