What is it about Bord Failte and Fianna Fail ministers for tourism? A spat with Charlie McCreevy saw consultants sent into the tourist board and a major revamp of the organisation, with many of its traditional functions stripped from it.
Now Bord Failte has virtually been ordered to downgrade its newly developed logo, known as Tourism Brand Ireland, and to restore the shamrock to its former prominence.
At a meeting in Dr McDaid's Department last Tuesday morning, Bord Failte agreed to review work in progress on the new logo. The Minister is very optimistic, a spokesman said. Does that mean he's getting his shamrock back? "Well, that's what he asked for."
A spokesman for Bord Failte said the work in progress would be completed by the end of this month. He had no other comment to make on the matter. However, morale is said to be very low in the organisation as it suffers yet another humiliation at the hands of a political boss.
It is being speculated in the industry that a director of Bord Failte, Mr Padraig O hUiginn, is to be appointed as an adviser to Dr McDaid. Mr O hUiginn made way as chairman of Bord Failte during the last government for Mr Mark Mortell, who once ran for Fine Gael in a local government election. Yesterday a spokesman for Dr McDaid said no appointment had yet been made.
The downgrading of Tourism Brand Ireland is a particular setback for Mr Noel Toolan, the international marketing director. Mr Toolan came to Bord Failte from Grand Metropolitan, an exceptionally brand-conscious company - Smirnoff, Baileys, Johnny Walker.
It was his idea to create a brand for Ireland, incorporating not just tourism but internationally known brands like Jameson, Waterford Crystal and Baileys. It was intended these companies should pay to promote the brand.
Mr Toolan undertook research in the main markets and concluded the shamrock was a bit passe and something more dynamic and modern was required. (It is curious to note that, simultaneously, Aer Lingus's research into the same topic arrived at the conclusion that it could not have a better symbol than the shamrock, only that it should be tweaked a bit.)
The Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB), in optimistic mood because of the first IRA ceasefire, came on board; though there were, and are, some in Northern Ireland who view any collaboration with a southern State agency with considerable misgivings. Just as there are some in the tourist industry in the Republic who would prefer not to involve Northern Ireland in the international marketing of Ireland.
A design competition was held. The winning design was unveiled to the trade last autumn. The new brand is very attractive in three dimensions, say, in a TV advertisement, but it is over-complex when presented on the flat, as in a newspaper advertisement.
Dr McDaid is supposed to have described it as "a pair of dancing alligators". True or not, the Minister annoyed the design industry by implying it was being "precious" in refusing criticism of the new logo.
The honorary treasurer of the Institute of Designers in Ireland, Mr Hugh Wallace, said: "If the Minister feels the Ireland logo doesn't work, perhaps they should look at a consultative process to evaluate how it can be made relevant".
Mr Darrell Kavanagh of Image Now Consultants said two lines crossing had great significance for Christianity, i.e. a holy cross. "But it must be made clear that these associations are never immediate and only became relevant over a period of time and after constant applications that relate to the brand," according to Mr Kavanagh.
Dr McDaid's spokesman said he was heartened by the lively debate his remarks had caused in the Irish design industry.
A spokeswoman for the NITB said it had no difficulty with Dr McDaid's intervention. She drew a distinction between the logo and the international campaign to promote the island of Ireland in which the NITB has invested £500,000. The important thing, she said, was the success of the campaign, not the logo.
Last May Fianna Fail's position paper on tourism said the party supported the Tourism Brand Ireland but underlined what it called "the lack of a coherent and integrated strategy for the development of Irish tourism as well as the need for the public and private sectors to co-operate in marketing Ireland overseas".
It now looks as though the new Minister has opened his campaign to implement party strategy with a return to core values.