DÁIL SKETCH:TÁNAISTE MARY Coughlan became uncharacteristically silent for a brief period in the Dáil yesterday. She looked uncomfortable.
The reason was the Government’s proposal to adjourn the House until next Wednesday and dispense with the usual Tuesday sitting.
The Dáil returned last week after a two-week Easter break.
Dispensing with the Tuesday sitting was because it follows a bank holiday weekend. Perhaps the Government wants a holiday from the banks.
The pressing issues to be discussed, including the job losses at Quinn Insurance, were listed by Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny and Labour leader Eamon Gilmore who wanted a Tuesday sitting.
“It is incredible that the House would vote itself a day in lieu of a bank holiday Monday,” said Sinn Féin’s Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin.
Gilmore said the short Dáil week was because the Government took every opportunity to be away from the Dáil so that it did not have to be answerable to the House and the Opposition.
Coughlan sipped water and made no attempt to defend the Government’s proposal. Green Party Ministers were equally tongue-tied. The Government voted the proposal through.
Kenny and Gilmore wanted to know if the Government had changed its mind on the future of Anglo Irish Bank, following remarks in the House on Wednesday by Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan.
Ceann Comhairle Séamus Kirk said it was a serious matter and the Dáil should find a way to deal with it other than yesterday’s Order of Business.
“Next Tuesday, when the Dáil is shut down?” observed Fine Gael’s Dr James Reilly.
Gilmore accused the Government of breaking a promise to 300,000 low-income families whose costs for home heating oil would be increased this weekend by the carbon levy.
“I know the Marie Antoinettes in the Green Party may say to low income families, ‘let them heat by alternative energy measures’,” he added.
“They can hug trees to keep warm,” said Fine Gael’s Bernard Durkan. The Tánaiste was on her second glass of water, and in full verbal flow again, when Fine Gael’s Michael Ring indicated she would be welcome at a party in Bunbeg, in her native Donegal, this weekend. He suggested she bring along a cake to celebrate the birthday of Donegal party colleague Dinny McGinley.
“If things were right, I might jump out of the cake,” said Coughlan.
Later, Fianna Fáil backbencher Mary O’Rourke complained about the limited time available to speak on what turned out to be an excellent debate on child welfare and protection services.
Other contributors seemed equally unhappy with the time constraints. Despite this, there will be no Tuesday sitting. As far as the Government is concerned, the Opposition and the public can eat cake when it comes to Dáil reform. The word is that the Government plans another week’s Dáil holiday in June, by which time, no doubt, it will be ready to limp into the July summer recess.
