Dail Sketch: It's not often these days that Enda Kenny finds himself at the head of a popular movement. So it was with some relish yesterday that he described the extent of Dail opposition to the reintroduction of college fees, writes Frank McNally.
His arm waving around the chamber like a swingometer in a Fine Gael landslide, he added the PDs to the long list of those against: "Fine Gael...Labour...the Greens...Sinn Fein".
"The Independents," shouted Finian McGrath. "The Independents," echoed Mr Kenny, with another jerk of his arm. "Fianna Fail are now the only party in favour," he said.
Even this appeared questionable. By contrast with the Fine Gael leader, who was accompanied by the massed ranks (as near as it can manage currently) of his party, Bertie Ahern was almost alone during leaders' questions. He was flanked by two Marys, Hanafin and Coughlan, but from the otherwise empty front bench seats, you'd have thought it was Gold Cup day at Cheltenham. When the third Cabinet Mary - the PD leader - came in, she sat up at the back.
Nevertheless, the Taoiseach fought his corner. After the well-worn response that the Minister for Education was reviewing the general question of college access and that nothing was decided, he donned his sarcastic voice and suggested Fine Gael was setting a new personal best: "Deputy Kenny and his party are always against everything. This time they're against a proposal and they don't even know what it is." Compared with the Taoiseach's basic proficiency, Pat Rabbitte has a PhD in sarcasm. He wondered how the minister, "who couldn't face down Jackie Healy-Rae in the last Government," was going to face down Michael McDowell in this one. He asked mischievously if any Cabinet resignations were anticipated; and he invited the Tanaiste to "come on down" and join the debate. Mary Harney stayed where she was, however.
There were some equally inconclusive exchanges on the subject of drink. Joe Higgins asked Mr Ahern if, as part of his drive to stamp out alcohol abuse, he might stop opening pubs. Whereupon the Taoiseach cunningly changed the subject and said that if he ever met the socialist TD in a pub, he would buy him a pint, "because I gather he's not too good at buying them himself".
This is the sort of allegation which Mr Higgins might have asked to have withdrawn from the record. But it was the Taoiseach who protested when Trevor Sargent suggested his serial pub opening made him a "drug pusher". Narrowing his gaze at the Green Party, Mr Ahern said: "What?"
After intervention by the chair, however, Mr Sargent changed the verb 'push" to "promote".
