DID MARTIN Ferris let the Sinn Féin cat out of the bag in the Dáil on Wednesday?

The party has been insisting their decision to run Martin McGuinness as their candidate for the presidency represents a very serious attempt by them to get their man into Áras an Uachtaráin. It is not, as many have suggested, a concerted move to raise the profile of Sinn Féin in the Republic and nip smartly into the vacuum left by Fianna Fáil.

It is not the case, they say, that Martin is merely on temporary release from his real job as Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland and Member of Parliament for Mid-Ulster.

He is not just “down here” to do a job of work for the party before returning across the Border to Stormont.

So what are we to make of this interesting little exchange during an SF Private Members’ motion on the community and voluntary sector? It happened at teatime, when about half a dozen Deputies were on duty in the sleepy chamber.

Labour TD for Meath East Dominic Hannigan, who is chairman of the joint committee on the Belfast Agreement, spoke in relation to the All-Ireland Consultative Civic Forum.

(No, we weren’t aware of it either.)

“The St Andrews agreement builds on the commitment in the Good Friday agreement to an independent consultative forum where civic society from North and South of the Border can meet and discuss issues,” said Dominic.

“The Government has sent its proposals on the forum to Northern Ireland. We are awaiting a response from the First Minister and the office of the Deputy First Minister.

“The Deputy First Minister is otherwise engaged at the moment and has stepped away from his post,” said Dominic, looking across the floor at the two Sinn Féin deputies present.

“No doubt when he returns to his position he can help to drive the review forward.”

Cork North Central TD Jonathan O’Brien replied: “No. The office of the Deputy First Minister is filled.”

Well, yes. We know that. But he’s down here at the moment, hoping to become president of Down Here (or the 26 counties, as he styles this Irish Republic in his Litur um Thoghchán, for a bit of variety).

But if, as Jonathan’s Sinn Féin colleagues are so strongly predicting, Martin wins the election he will have to resign his seat in Westminster, resign as an MLA, give his important executive job to a substitute and wave bye bye to his very best pal, Peter Robinson.

But wait. Here comes Martin Ferris with a helpful point of information for the Dáil record.

“He’s only journeying down for a number of weeks.”

Then, job done, he’ll leave down here and high tail it back up there.

Thanks for clarifying that, Deputy Ferris.