A British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan was once asked what kept him awake at night. He replied, “Events, dear boy, events”. .

All politicians are haunted by the arrival of the unexpected event. When it happens at election time it has the capacity to upend the best laid plans.

I’m reminded of the Macmillan comment as I drive back from Rolestown in North County Dublin, where I’ve been meeting with parents about schools. Joe Duffy is on the radio replaying segments from the now infamous prison phone call. It is something that has come up on the doorsteps frequently in the last few days and the general feeling is amazement that it was allowed to happen. It undermines all of Michael McDowell’s tough guy image on crime. It must be what keeps him awake at night along with the other unexpected twists and turns of Bertiegate. The FF and PD spin doctors must be having very restless nights. Are these events the beginning of the FF/PD derailment?

It’s another early start this morning as I head to Clonsilla railway station to meet with commuters. The gorgeous weather has made the ‘Calcutta Express’ slightly more bearable and people are happy to stop and talk on their way to work. I finally have good news for them as the long-awaited pedestrian footbridges for both Clonsilla and Coolmine stations are under construction and should be in place within a few months. We’ve been waiting for years for safe access to both these stations.

The early afternoon gives me an untold luxury – time for a swim in Total Fitness! Though even here I can’t get away from the election as fellow members are full of words of advice and encouragement. And continuing the hair theme from yesterday I’m told that on Sean Moncrieff’s programme on Newstalk, I’ve been voted ‘Big Hair of the Election’. That’s my first win of the campaign – here’s to another one in 21 days!

I spend the rest of the afternoon on the canvass, first at shopping centres and then going door-to-door. Over the last few days I’ve met a number of parents and grandparents of children who have been diagnosed with autism. They are desperate for services to be provided for their children to allow their potential to be unlocked. However, they tell me that they face a brick wall of government at every turn. Ministers are happy to take advantages from high profile photo opportunities with campaigners such as Keith Duffy but they have failed to provide any real changes for the children who are affected. This only becomes a headline issue when there is a High Court case but for many families it is a source of deep frustration.

I’ve been told today that the legal challenge to the Government about the constituencies has been adjourned until next week. Dublin West is the constituency most affected by this challenge. With a population of 100,000 the Constitution says that it should have 4 TD’s. Yet, like with other issues such as public transport and policing, FF and the PD’s have bigger concerns and the people of Dublin West must make do with being ably but under-represented.
So instead of constituency boundaries, the focus in the Four Courts tomorrow will be on the exceptionally sad case of Miss D. I can only wonder who the HSE thought they were benefiting by preventing the girl from travelling to England. I hope they haven’t caused Miss D even more trauma by making her go through this legal process.

After my evening walkabout, I arrive in Myo’s pub in Castleknock just in time to see Manchester United knocked out of the Champions League. A FF group are also there and don’t look too happy. Is it just the football blues or a sign of something else?

Back home to meet with some of my economic advisory team to go over our manifesto launch. It’s like studying for the Leaving Cert again. You can never know just what question will come up from the press corps so every possible one needs to be thought over and prepared.