The old schoolboy trick of writing notes on your hand to jog the memory was brought back to life by minister for children Barry Andrews last week to the surprise and amusement of Questions and Answers' viewers.

On the eve of the budget, the Dún Laoghaire TD put up a spirited defence of government policies on the RTÉ programme as he fought off attacks by a panel which included Fine Gael's Leo Varadkar and green entrepreneur Gerry McCaughey.

Andrews repeatedly raised his left hand when making points – oblivious to the fact that words written in biro were visible on his palm.

However, the minister has insisted that the biro notes were not meant as reminders to help him defend what has proved to be the toughest budget in living memory.

He joked to the Sunday Tribune, "I got a load of texts from friends about it saying they know how I did so well in my exams which I thought was pretty funny."

Andrews revealed that the marks were merely notes for a speech he made earlier that day at a FAI function in Abbotstown.

"I was out there for a function for the Dublin District Schoolboy League. I was asked to make a speech at short notice and because I had nothing prepared I scribbled down a few notes so I wouldn't forget them. It was just a few words and few jokes.

"When friends spotted the notes on my hands during Questions and Answers, they thought they were prompts for the debate but they actually had nothing to do with the show."

Andrews was not the only politician to be spotted with biro notes scrawled on his hand last week following Brian Lenihan's controversial budget. Minister for community, rural and gaeltacht affairs Eamon O'Cuiv appeared on TV3's Nightly News with Vincent Browne last Tuesday with a number of key budget points on his hand clearly visible to viewers.

Last year Noel Edmonds, host of Channel 4 quiz Deal or No Deal credited cosmic ordering – which involves writing objectives on your hands – with the resurgence of his TV career.