The surest sign of an election in the offing is politicians kissing babies – and Paschal Donohoe warmed up for the weeks ahead with a trial run in Tuam.

And when the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform wasn’t kissing babies, he was making it clear to their mothers how much better off they were as a result of his Budget earlier in the week.

To emphasise his point, he even made a point of chatting with a number of pregnant women with whom he outlined the benefits for them.

It was all part of a whistlestop tour around the county that included a trip to Athenry, where he visits the Dexcom site before opening a constituency office in the town for city councillor Clodagh Higgins.

He then travelled to the city at lunchtime, where he addressed a Galway Chamber’s Business Lunch – and onto Tuam where he launched Cllr Pete Roche’s campaign for the Dail in Galway East.

For all of the photos and glad handling, there was nothing new; no commitment to the reopening of the Western Rail Corridor, which was discontinued back in 1987, or even a greenway along the track.

Instead, the Minister was more anxious to avail of every photo opportunity that presented itself.

While he was doing that, the party faithful were cutting uo tarts and sandwiches to sate his appetite from this unofficial canvass – and his hungry political colleagues were not found wanting on the food front either.

Pictured: Councillor Andrew Reddington (right), Minister for Public Expenditure pictured with Paschal Donohoe, Liam Kelly, General Election candidiate Councillor Pete Roche, Councillor David Collins and Denis Joyce.