MIRIAM LORD'S WEEK:AN OPPOSITION deputy passed a Labour Minister in the corridor during the week and with a smile on his face wagged an accusatory finger and chortled: "First the Vatican. Now the Holy Communion dresses. What next?" What next indeed. In the midst of a grave economic crisis, Leinster House has been consumed by talk of septic tanks, rosary beads and the Vatican embassy.

We couldn’t help overhearing this short exchange between two Labour deputies outside the Leinster House 2000 annex on Wednesday afternoon, just before they were due to go into their party meeting.

Michael McNamara of Clare said to Aodhán Ó Riordán of Dublin North East: “I’m going to raise the issue of attacks on Catholicism.” To which O’Riordán swiftly replied: “That’s a bit much – how would we get people to pay it?”

Speaking of Aodhán, at a recent fundraiser, a woman asked him what it was in aid of. “The Labour Party, ” he replied. She looked at him and said with feeling: “When are yis going to get in and get that other shower of f*****s out?!”