You wait ages for a clear-the-air statement in the Dáil, and then two arrive together.
No sooner had Ms Beverley Cooper Flynn promised a "personal explanation" of her role in organising investments for her father than the Taoiseach agreed a mini-debate on allegations that he had delayed the work of the Mahon tribunal.
Bertie as well as Bev: the Government is not always so accommodating to the Opposition but yesterday it offered a full B&B service.
Mr Ahern was first up, delivering an impressive defence of his co-operation with the tribunals, contrary to the "absolute nonsense" claimed by a Sunday newspaper.
Pat Rabbitte countered that the Taoiseach was demolishing a straw man. Nobody in the house believed the story.
The real issue was how the Taoiseach responded to sleaze, such as the allegation that former Minister Padraig Flynn, then resident in Castlebar, had opened a bank account giving an address "in Chiswick".
As if to underline the point, the ambassador for Chiswick, and the UK generally, was observing proceedings from the gallery.
But the Taoiseach was more circumspect on the subject of Mr Flynn. He trawled his reservoir of euphemism to describe Tom Gilmartin's £50,000 donation to Mr Flynn, at one point referring to it as "resources".
Several times he pleaded due process. And even after Mr Rabbitte complained that the Government's habit of hiding behind the tribunals was "the longest political touch-kick in history", Mr Ahern worked the line like Jonny Wilkinson.
Only after some prodding did he offer the opinion that in 1989 £50,000 was an "extraordinary" sum, adding: "Obviously, the question arises - what was it for?"
Ms Cooper Flynn could hardly be expected to answer that question. But she had a rapt audience when she rose to speak.
And not for the first time, the Mayo TD appeared unruffled by the attention.
Cool as an offshore breeze, she outlined her financial dealings on behalf of "Padraig and Dorothy Flynn", and you sometimes had to remind yourself that she was talking about her father and mother.
Her statement was as carefully composed as a bank document, and although the silence in which it was heard is a convention on these occasions, the detail merited careful study.
Afterwards, Opposition spokespeople rushed outside for interviews, but only to suspend judgement.
Terms and conditions applied, was the message, and the value of Dáil statements might fall as well as rise.
It was a moot point whether the air had in fact been cleared, but the debate did at least cast some light on the challenge facing the health service.
This occurred when Mr Rabbitte, complaining again about the Taoiseach's reluctance to discuss certain matters until the tribunals had concluded their work, suggested both he and Mr Ahern would be pushing "zimmer frames" before that happened.
A party colleague quipped that they might have to "share" a frame. Whereupon the Minister for Health added, grimly: "If they can get one."