What's half a billion euros between friends?

An extremely embarassing story in today's Irish times about how the potential university fee revenue that the Minister for Education publicly announced yesterday, of some 520 million Euros, was in fact a major error and should have been 130 million Euro.  Still he did graciously sympathise with the economist who made the error and pointed out that he was under pressure, doing the calculations whilst rushing to a conference. Oh well, that's alright, no harm done. Sure that's how government policy should be done, in airport lounges just before you board your plane. Quick back of the envelope sum, and last minute email setting the framework for the future of the country's entire higher education system for the next 10 years.