On this day of chocolate and reverence, Sunday Show panel sat down to discuss the morning papers - all before midday mass.

Joining Shane Coleman this morning were former political advisor and Examiner columnist Gerard Howlin and Irish Times journalist Bernice Harrison.

The panel began with a discussion on the Sunday Independent's 'Show us the money' leader, along with the government's announcement of an increase of almost €2bn in spending ahead of next year's election.

Howlin sees it as a cynical move, "essentially return to the ... method of palming people off with money prior to an election." This is despite the government's criticism of auction politics in the previous Fianna Fáil administration. "I'm surprised," Howlin said, "at the speed at which we've forgotten. I didn't think we'd get back to that space in one term."

Harrison was a little more optimistic, and said poll results rejecting (narrowly) the idea of pay increases show that "maybe the electorate are a little more sensible," while Coleman reminded us that we at least hadn't returned to McCreevy madness - referring to a 20 per cent increase in spending before the 2002 elections.

Talk turned to Micheal Martin and the building frustration within Fianna Fáil. Howlin was skeptical of any attempts at ousting the leader, saying no one "is brave enough or stupid enough,"while Harrison bemoaned the party's focus: "it's all about the infighting... where are there policies?"

Howlin suggested that Martin's rather muted pre-election performances are because "this government's policies... are largely the policies bequeathed to them by his previous government."

Discussion also turned to the UK elections. Harrison hailed the "fantastic" performance of the Scottish National Party's Nicola Sturgeon in the recent TV debate, and said the party had figures the average person "might actually know," rather than the more aloof figures of Milliband and Cameron.

Howlin wondered if a strong showing from the Scottish party could result in another referendum, and whether the election could result in a 'Brexit' from the EU. The effect of a crumbling union could have big consequences for the North, where British-Irish relations are increasingly a matter of money rather than politics.