How many officials is too many? Junior Minister Liz O'Donnell had 15 with her for her sixhour grilling in Geneva this week by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
Normally ministers like a full complement of civil servants by their side to deal with every possible eventuality when they take questions in the Dail and to accompany them outside on official appearances. Indeed, most rarely move without at least one accompanying a press officer - a relatively new departure since, it is said, Labour entered government in 1992.
The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, usually has at least three companions when he is out and about - the Government press secretary, Joe Lennon, his programme manager, Gerry Hickey, and head of press in his department, Marty Whelan.
The whole issue was raised during the spat between the Minister for Justice and DL's Pat Rabbitte last year. John O'Donoghue entered the Dail one day to face yet more controversies and Rabbitte remarked that all that was missing was the team photographer. He had apparently three officials at his side.
It led one old-timer in Justice to tell Quidnunc about the occasion earlier in the year when, he maintained, the then minister, Nora Owen, was accompanied into the Dail by 22 officials. It was a debate on the estimates and there were 11 civil servants representing all five sections - courts, prisons, gardai, immigration and head office - plus 11 subs in case anyone was laid low.
The next best example that comes Quidnunc's way from the Dail is in relation to Finance, where the minister generally has six officials at his side. One civil servant was heard to remark that he had only made it into the fourth row back.