THE break-in at the head office of the Progressive Democrats' headquarters in Dublin's South Frederick Street last week is unlikely to have Watergate consequences but then, with an election in the offing and the political parties watching each other like hawks, a CREEP-type operation cannot be ruled out.

The office of the national organiser, Garvan McGinley, was ransacked but, as far as he can ascertain, nothing was taken.

This lucky escape could be due to the fact that the papers on election strategy, political manifesto, secret opinion polls and such ultra-sensitive information is kept under lock and key elsewhere. But then it could also be that the thieves were only interested in money and there wasn't any of that either.