Dáil Sketch/Michael O'Regan:At 4.20pm yesterday, Enda Kenny issued Bertie Ahern with an invitation. He wanted the Taoiseach to join him in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin's northside, at 6.30pm, to witness the scenes in the accident and emergency department.
"You are secreted away," Mr Kenny told Mr Ahern and his Government colleagues. The Taoiseach, "man of the people", should also be there, he added.
Although he conceded that the hospital was having "a bad day", Mr Ahern was not impressed.
"So if you are going around chasing ambulances, well that is a bad way to be, I have to say," he observed. Independent Dr Jerry Cowley, who shares Mr Kenny's Mayo constituency, rose to protest at the situation in Castlebar hospital.
Ceann Comhairle Dr Rory O'Hanlon ordered him from the House when he refused to sit down and make way for Mr Kenny.
"Deputy Cowley is unlikely to become the leader of the Fine Gael party," said Mr Kenny, caustically.
Meanwhile, Mr Ahern gave his views on elements of the Fourth Estate when asked about the Government's media monitoring unit.
Pat Rabbitte noted that a media report had suggested the unit went into overdrive during "Bertiegate", the controversy relating to payments made to Mr Ahern.
"I have no control over the tripe that is written in some newspapers by people, whom I reckon are in Doheny & Nesbitt's (a pub near Leinster House) having a few pints and decide to write a story without any basis and get paid for it," said Mr Ahern.
Joe Higgins wanted clarification on the unit's role. The Taoiseach, he said, was at pains to say it was apolitical, "having us believe it could not distinguish, for example, last autumn, between Percy French's Paddy Reilly, from Ballyjamesduff, and Paddy Reilly, from Ballybough, his own Paddy the Plasterer."
Mr Rabbitte was concerned that the unit should monitor Michael McDowell.
"Would it not be desirable, at this time, with the excitement of the eve of a general election, to monitor him before he spends the entire GDP of the country?," Mr Rabbitte asked.
"Did the Taoiseach get a special report from the weekend in Wexford? Has he a committee in Government examining it?"
Mr Ahern would not be drawn on the antics of his Coalition colleague.
Labour's Brendan Howlin had no such inhibitions when his party's Bill, allowing same-sex civil unions, was rejected as unconstitutional in its current form by Mr McDowell last night.
As a crowded public gallery observed the heated exchanges, the PD Rotweiller accused Mr Howlin of "barking" at him.
Mr Howlin was furious about what he perceived to be Mr McDowell's lack of recognition of achievements of a previous Rainbow government.
Leaning forward he said: "He is talking . . . " A word, containing the letters 'bull' and ending with the letter 'T', seemed certain to emerge from his mouth. But he hesitated and used the word "rubbish" instead.
Parliamentary decorum triumphed in the heat of a Dáil battle.