Drapier noted recently that as a follow-on from the Army deafness cases, Army personnel are now succeeding in receiving court awards for post-traumatic stress disorder.
He wonders if TDs be able to sue for this after a stint in Leinster House. Indeed, Drapier wonders should this be available to some of the many (former) colleagues who were in here and who subsequently lost at election. Drapier can think of nothing more traumatic than losing an election.
And yet, while all these claims may be available to the Army and others, we would be laughed out of court if we were to try. Even though many people did not agree with Michael Bell when he took his Army deafness claim, he did have a point of principle in the fact that being a TD should not prevent him from taking a claim. Mind you, he lost out in the long run, in that his audacity in this regard came back to haunt him.
The furore over the banks and the Revenue Commissioners has taken a new twist this week with further leaking of internal documents. Interestingly enough, the chairman of the Revenue Commissioners, Dermot Quigley, when he was with the Dail Committee of Public Accounts showed that he was able to give as good as he got. Particularly when he stated that a provision allowing the Revenue to order documents from banks had been deleted from previous legislation, at the behest of politicians.
Most of the political parties this week were restrained in their comments to such an extent that all of them seemed to be reluctant to give a Dail committee the power to demand disclosure of tax returns. They seemed to feel that the Government watchdog, the Comptroller and Auditor General, should carry out an investigation on behalf of the Dail.
Pat Rabbitte, as usual, was more upfront in his criticism, decrying the practices of yesteryear, and yet he acts as if he was never in government himself.
Drapier hasn't heard from him again about the recovery of the beef industry fines since Bertie Ahern pointed out that he (Pat) was in the government which decided to ease up on following those responsible.
All in all, Drapier thinks that this story will run and run. One thing that seems to be lost in much of the comment to date is that not only should blame lie with the banking sector and the Revenue Commissioners, but with the tens of thousands of people who could not have been innocents abroad in the effort to defraud the taxpayer.
Drapier wonders if it will be possible to identify each and every one of these people. The Government was probably wise to postpone the decision on the regionalisation issue, but is it storing up trouble for itself? On a lot of occasions Drapier thinks that a quick decision is better. Decisiveness can deflate opposition.
Drapier noted that the Government intends to have a Dail debate on this and, no doubt, this will throw up an urban-rural divide. From reports it seems that the Government is adamant that it should proceed to divide the country in two.
This will cause difficulties for particular deputies in each of the constituencies affected.
Jackie Healy-Rae was quick out of the traps making sure that he was putting sufficient pressure on the Government in this regard. While he may be in Leinster House only a few short months, Jackie is certainly learning quickly, and at moments like this he is showing his constituents that he is looking after them.
Given the intense rivalry between himself and his Kerry colleague, Minister John O'Donoghue, Jackie is not allowing himself to be outshone.
Drapier will not be surprised if South Kerry is included in any division and in that event Jackie can claim credit. If it isn't, he can abuse O'Donoghue.
Quite a lot of Ministers have come out in public in favour of regionalisation, but Bertie seems to be keeping his counsel. Maybe his city roots are causing him to be cautious.
The delay in making this decision may also be designed to put off any bad reaction until after the Cork by-election.
This seems to be hotting up. While Fianna Fail is putting a brave face on it, Drapier thinks the Coveney name will win it in the end for Fine Gael. While the polls are extremely good for Fianna Fail nationally, Drapier thinks that the particular localised circumstances point to a Coveney victory.
Fianna Fail will point to the fact that the general conditions in Cork are extremely favourable. There doesn't seem to be any huge issue on the public's minds, unlike the last time when the TV deflector system seemed to be everywhere. This time the atmosphere is much more relaxed, and Drapier and his colleagues have been very happy with the general reception of politicians on the doorsteps.
Drapier was somewhat surprised to see that the Government has brought forward a proposed national sports stadium. Having pledged £20 million to Croke Park, Drapier would have thought that the Government would have insisted that this payment be conditional on Croke Park becoming a national centre for all sports.
While the proposal is in its infancy, Drapier cannot understand why the GAA would use this new facility given the fact that it has a state-of-the art stadium.
Drapier notices that some very prominent business people's names have been mentioned as giving money to this proposal. he, having been brought up in the school of "there's no such thing as a free lunch", wonders what the quid pro quo is. His attitude is "beware of Greeks bearing gifts". More details please!
Drapier also noticed that the passport-for-sale issue was aired on Primetime this week. The programme highlighted how a native of the Czech Republic who got an Irish passport from Nora Owen was allegedly involved in a financial swindle. The current Minister, John O'Donoghue, said he would have the matter checked out. Drapier thought (naively) that the Opposition would be screaming the House down the next day. But no, not a whimper on the subject.
Now, if the passport had been approved during Fianna Fail's term in office, Drapier thinks that Nora, Pat Rabbitte, Brendan Howlin and others would be demanding explanations.
But it was left to the conscience of us all, Dessie O'Malley, to raise it in the Dail. However, hardly a mention of it in the media the next day. Drapier is beginning to believe that nothing is ever a scandal unless Fianna Fail is involved!