After last week's tirade, it's probably timely that I be nice about someone. So this is a defence, of sorts,for our beleaguered Minster for Transport. For he may not be with us much longer. I've always had a soft spot for aul' Mr Brennan. His record is imperfect - but he does have one achievement against which his failings pale into insignificance, writes Kilian Doyle.
He introduced penalty points. He has made the consequences of being caught acting the maggot on the roads something to be genuinely scared of. By my reckoning, he is directly responsible for saving hundreds of people from death and serious injury.
So the system is flawed. And people are regaining their previous cockiness. And consequently the death toll is back to previous horrific levels. But is that Brennan's fault? Why is he taking all the flak?
Who is to blame? Well, motorists for one. Speed limits are set for a reason, namely to protect people from themselves. But a huge proportion of Irish motorists regard them as an inconvenience at best, and at worst a challenge to be overcome.
We are a rebel nation. In a country where crooked sleeveen politicians are commended as lovable rogues, where getting away with it is lauded as a fine art, whether you are a boy racer or a member of the Oireachtas, what chance has Brennan got of changing a whole nation's mindset?
It is this lack of responsibility that is killing people, not Brennan's sloth in passing the Traffic Bill. He's not the one driving at 90 down country roads at night and slamming into walls. He's not the one buying laser jammers to avoid Garda speed traps.
As the lowered death toll for the first year of penalty points showed, the mere threat of punishment can slow people down. But it stops working when the threat becomes hollow. And motorists are quickly realising the threat is just that. I've driven across this fair isle dozens of times in recent months, been overtaken by maniacs, seen the wreckage of cars in fields, been truly dumbstruck by the antics of some motorists. But I've only ever seen one person being stopped. Only one.
Where are all the gardaí? What happened to the high-visibility campaign the Dark Lord of the Department of Justice promised?
Not that I'm blaming individual gardaí. There are only 580 of them on permanent traffic duty trying to monitor thousands of miles of roads. And they don't teach bi-location in Templemore, as far as I'm aware. No wonder they forced to resort to nabbing easy targets like unfortunates who stray a couple of miles over the speed limit on dual carriageways.
Having a speed trap on some winding mountain pass in Kerry where you might only catch one person a day won't fill any quotas. But that one person could be the very one who's going to slam into a minibus full of tourists, killing everyone involved.
So where are the 2,000 extra gardaí we were promised, Mr McDowell? I appreciate there is a freeze on public sector employment, but I don't remember you mentioning that while you were up your lamppost. You can promise and pledge all you like, but we proles have long become inured to empty ministerial chatter.
And don't tell us the money isn't there. It is. We know it is because Charlie told us it was only weeks ago with characteristic self-congratulatory aplomb. Maybe if your other government colleagues weren't wasting so much public money on make-up, bankrupt electronic voting systems, equestrian centres and idle medical facilities, you could afford to keep some of your promises.
Mr Brennan - do us all a favour and stick the boot into McDowell and senior gardaí. Ask them how you are supposed to set up the Traffic Corps you promised with no personnel. Ask them why thousands of officers are doing clerical work, collecting fines, deporting desperate people and protecting visiting warmongers while motorists are left to their own devices, left to die in their hundreds on unpatrolled roads.
It could be your parting shot as Minister for Transport. For the sake of your legacy - if nothing else - I suggest you make it a good one.