All the world's a stage for Minister

Dail sketch/Maire O'Halloran: It was a rare and wonderful scene

Dail sketch/Maire O'Halloran: It was a rare and wonderful scene. The occasion was Minister for Arts John O'Donoghue's announcement that a new home has finally been found for the Abbey.

The scene was rare and wonderful because the Minister took the opportunity to make the announcement of the new national theatre in the national parliament.

And the Minister, a former solicitor, did it in his own cautious way: "These consultations have progressed to the point where I am in a position to say that a potentially suitable site at George's Dock capable of satisfying the accommodation needs of the Abbey is now on offer, subject to clarification of some points of detail with the Dublin Docklands Development Authority," he said.

Did that mean George's Dock would or wouldn't be the new location? It took a fellow Kerryman, Fine Gael's arts spokesman Jimmy Deenihan, to interpret the comment and welcome it anyway.

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It would be around the corner from the existing Abbey. Ireland would then have a building "comparable to any theatre in the world".

Unless, he added, it falls the way of Coláiste Mhuire on Parnell Square, a former relocation site until the Government said the price being asked for an adjacent building was too high.

Jimmy Deenihan suggested that the site was offered "more or less free of charge" and he asked for clarification of this. Maybe it was a case of once bitten, twice shy, for the Minister avoided all mention of money and ignored the comment.

Earlier, there was no ignoring Minister of State Noel Treacy's quip when Labour leader Pat Rabbitte complained about the Taoiseach's absence from the House on Wednesday. Mr Ahern had gone to London for talks on the North.

Mr Rabbitte said the Opposition had facilitated the Taoiseach not being there "only to open this morning's newspapers to find he was opening Ireland's latest Monopoly game".

"Ah, don't be jealous," Mr Treacy immediately quipped, bringing the House down.

Even Pat Rabbitte could not hide a trace of a smile at that and had to wait several minutes until the laughter died down before continuing.

He complained that it was not treating the Opposition with due respect. "If the Taoiseach has time to come back to open a Monopoly game, he has time to facilitate Question Time in the House."

Minister for Finance Brian Cowen tut-tutted. "We try to reciprocate, with respect, but it's very difficult with this pomposity."

Fine Gael's Michael Ring got involved later on the same theme. "The trouble with the lot of them over there is that they have become too arrogant ... What we have to do is get rid of them."

"Deputy Ring has come down a few steps," said Minister O'Donoghue.

"Ah, he speaks," replied Mr Ring. "The Minister for Travel and Joy." And with the Abbey announcement, that just about summed it up.