When Charlie McConalogue and the rest of the cabinet jet off for St Patrick’s day next week, they are leaving a little parting gift for farmers, I’m hearing.

A lime subsidy scheme, worth €10/t, is expected to even as the Minister for Agriculture heads for New Zealand. There are terms and conditions – you need a soil sample showing lime is required, and there will be a 200t upper limit. However, it will prove popular with farmers, but if it’s oversubscribed, there may be a linear cut. Should that be a lime-ar cut?

Sorry.