Changed times at ISME, the medium and small business lobby. . . or maybe not. The Margin noted that despite the upheavals of late, the group's line-up for its pre-budget submission this week looked very familiar. The presentation to the media was made by Seamus Butler, ISME's chairman, with Shay Fitzmaurice of the group's press committee by his side.

Bloodied but unbowed was ISME's former chief executive and now director of communications, Frank Mulcahy - and he was back at his sponger-baiting best form.

ISME had toured the State, he said, and had uncovered that half of all young people on the dole who receive a letter from FAS asking them to attend an interview never show up, and stop signing.

"The question was put: What do the unemployed really want?" he said. "And the answer was to be left alone," he quipped.