Just a few years ago, the corridors of Leinster House on Budget Day were alive all hours to the sound of excited visitors, anxious to witness one of the Dáil's great political occasions.
Alas, the numbers are dwindling. Even those who were in attendance started to drift to the bar, or left the building entirely once the heavy hitters such as the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy had finished their speeches.
And they were not alone. Backbenchers were quick to head off to deal with constituency matters, rather than listen to contributions often prepared days before Mr McCreevy finalised his programme.
Sometimes, it can be hard to blame them. TDs are increasingly seen as irrelevant to decision making. The Cabinet rules OK. Sure, many add insightful contributions, based on day-to-day experience.
However, they can too rarely alter the decision itself. Instead, the major players are unelected union, business, farming and social figures who gather in conclave for Dublin Castle talks.
The increasing influence of the executive over parliament has perhaps been illustrated best by the length of time taken over the appointment of the plethora of Oireachtas committees. Though the election took place in May, it was November 7th before the Government Chief Whip, Ms Mary Hanafin was in a position to put a full list of names to the House for approval. Certainly, the Government cannot be entirely blamed. The Opposition hardly pushed the matter, and frequently endured little-noticed eruptions as politicians squabbled.
But the Government was content to delay committee appointments to keep manners on a few Fianna Fáil TDs as it stumbled from crisis to crisis from May through to November.
Now established, the committees are starved of resources and, it must be admitted, frequently of the oxygen of media coverage even if they must accept part of the blame for that themselves.
The new Committee on European Affairs is one of the key elements if the Government's promise to ensure greater Oireachtas scrutiny of EU affairs is ever to amount to more than guff. Led by Fine Gael TD, Mr Gay Mitchell, it has hit the ground running, and, so far, it must be said, has been receiving detailed briefs from government ministers bound for Brussels meetings.
However, it has just a handful of dedicated staff to wade through the 10,000 documents of astounding complexity that emerge annually from the Brussels printing mill. So far, many of the European Affairs Committee members are still coming to terms with the EU but they are trying. However, the same cannot always be said of every Oireachtas committee.
Last year, senior RTÉ executives, led by the Director General, Mr Bob Collins, came before the Arts, Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht committee to plead their case for a licence fee increase.
For two hours, TDs asked questions based on varying levels of research and knowledge, though they rarely broke through the fog that Mr Collins leaves in his wake. Still, they tried.
Then, it was the turn of a Fianna Fáil Senator. Despite RTÉ's crisis, the said gentleman could manage only to mutter darkly about Derry footballer, Joe Brolly's alleged bias towards Donegal on RTÉ's Sunday Game.
The tale illustrates the vicious cycle that has been created. Politicians are not given the chance to be genuinely involved. Thus ignored, some, in turn, ignore - and can afford to ignore - the time-consuming, grinding business of legislation. In years gone by, politicians of all ranks rarely consulted notes. Now, many of their successors drone on, and on using prepared speeches - often written by people outside Leinster House.
Now, an effort, involving the Ceann Comhairle, Dr Rory O'Hanlon, Fine Gael TDs John Deasy and David Stanton, the Green Party's Eamon Ryan and others, is on to drive prepared scripts out. Enthusiastic for change, Mr Ryan offered Dr O'Hanlon a deal. If he would enforce the scripts ban, the Greens would wear ties. The point struck home with a Ceann Comhairle deeply irritated by falling Dáil dress standards.
No greater love hath a man for a parliament than this, that he would be willing to take up a tie to win some real debate.
In a way, Mr Ryan's offer highlights how farcical life inside the Dáil has become.