TELECOM'S new strategic alliance partners were long on answers but short on specifics during yesterday's press conference to announce the deal. Assembled hacks found they were being given little in the way of financial information.

However, at least the partners were being forthcoming about not being forthcoming:

"You will notice that I give very long answers to disguise the fact that I am not answering your questions," Ben Verwaayen, chief executive of PTT Telecom (Telecom's Dutch partner), said at one stage. That man could yet find a job in Irish politics.