The sale of the French embassy has been the talk of the town all week and the word is that there is serious interest in the €60 million property.

The house was featured across the world, mainly because French ambassador Yvon Roe D'Albert claimed that he used his mobile to contact his wife in the 1,022sq m (11,000sq ft) pile.

It's unlikely that the buyer will be from anywhere other than Dublin 4 and already there have been big hitters walking through. Our money is still on Derek Quinlan who could easily swap a handful of houses in the area and write a cheque on top.

But he might not get a clear run at it. There is some talk in political circles of the Government buying the house as an official residence for future taoisigh. Even if Bertie would prefer to stay close to Fagan's pub in Drumcondra, observers will recall his statement that he does not have the same living arrangements as some of his counterparts in Europe.

The Government could offload Farmleigh to one of the international hotel chains given that it is now seldom used by visiting dignitaries and is costing a small fortune to maintain.

Surely Ailesbury Road would be a more appropriate venue all round?