The Flood Tribunal will adjourn next Thursday until June 14th, so its deliberations will not influence the campaigns for the Euro and local elections on June 11th. It's not, according to politicians in Leinster House, a moment too soon.
There is dismay in many quarters, but mostly, it must be said, among Government deputies that the tribunal is taking a decidedly political turn and this was not its brief. It will be recalled that the McCracken Tribunal was established to investigate the affairs of Michael Lowry - it ended up getting Charlie Haughey and opening a can of worms.
Flood set out to examine planning irregularities in north Co Dublin and payments to Ray Burke. Last week it appeared to be intent on finding out what exactly Bertie Ahern knew about the Burke payments and when he knew it - and, if he didn't know, he ought to have known, and he has to tell.
Witnesses Dermot Ahern and Mary Harney should not have been called, some argue, in the run-up to an election. The Opposition was happy enough to make hay with its evidence - although it was noted that, while Bertie suffered in the Irish Times/MRBI poll, the Opposition did not gain accordingly.
Since the Freedom of Information Act came into force last year politicians and civil servants have been wary of committing matters to paper even to the extent that the pre-Cabinet meetings of departmental advisers are unminuted, as are the meetings of the coalition programme managers, Gerry Hickey and Katherine Bulbulbia, for fear of forced disclosure.
After Dermot Ahern's evidence last week, there was talk that it's now not safe to have off-the-cuff conversations about everyday matters. Details may come up before a tribunal and the luckless one interrogated on oath. Even phone calls are tricky now that records of numbers dialled can be obtained. Those called by Flood have done nothing wrong, yet they are closely interrogated. Only hacks can get away with singing dumb.
After last week's dramas talk of an imminent election has died down. The view in Leinster House is that the Opposition has until next Friday, three weeks before June 11th, to force one. Otherwise the coalition should see the summer out.