While Irish legislators worry about piffling legislative issues like the protection of investors, those across the water have their teeth into more important matters.

A Tory MP has introduced an "Unsolicited Facsimile Messages Bill", aiming to deal with one of the nuisances of modern living.

Mr Christopher Fraser (Dorset Mid and Poole North) lamented that people were often woken in the middle of the night by the ringing of their fax machines and had to pay for wasted paper and electricity.

"These faxes, some of quite disturbing nature, make life an expensive misery for many of my constituents . . .

The faxes were generally about random topics such as "amazing wonder drugs" and guides on "how to win the National Lottery", Mr Fraser said, adding that legislation was needed to force the senders of junk faxes to check with recipients before sending them. Pity, then, that his proposals are themselves destined to end up as waste paper.