DÁIL SKETCH:Search is on for third Fine Gael Nama supporter to join FitzGerald and Dukes, writes MICHAEL O'REGAN

REMARKS BY Charlie McCreevy, some years ago, prompted a fruitless search for the identity of the Dáil’s third socialist to join Bertie Ahern and Joe Higgins at that time.

Now, the search is on for the third Fine Gael Nama supporter to join Dr Garret FitzGerald and Alan Dukes.

John Gormley, of the Green Party, revealed the FG person’s existence in the Dáil yesterday. However, like McCreevy, he is not revealing the identity.

During the resumed Nama debate, Gormley observed that FitzGerald and Dukes had “felt obliged to publicly express serious misgivings about the solution being advanced by the party to which they had given a large part of their lives and considerable talents”.

Addressing the Fine Gael ranks, he said that TDs would be aware of the personal dilemma involved for the two men.

Over the weekend, he added, he had met another “former FG deputy and stalwart of the party” who had wished him well and asked him to do his best for the country.

Enda Kenny could not contain his curiosity.

“I, too, wish the Minister well,” he declared.

“Who was the individual in question? There are no anonymous individuals in our party.”

Mr Gormley only revealed that he was male.

“I will not name him because I have a great deal of respect for him,” he added.

Clearly bristling from earlier Opposition taunts, Gormley lashed out at his party’s critics.

He also advised Tom Parlon and the Construction Industry Federation to “keep your noses out of Nama”, following Parlon’s remarks on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland programme. “It is for the Government, and the members of this House, of all parties, to decide on how Nama and related planning reforms will work,” he added.

Enda Kenny had warned that the Green Party voting for Nama would send out a message that “in this Republic, the people of influence and money continue to rule”.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore observed that the risk-sharing element of Nama was 5 per cent, “as small as it could possibly be”.

It was, he added, no more than a puff of green smoke, “a derisory concession to an ineffectual party whose only value now is the numbers that are required to keep Fianna Fáil in Government, but who have sold both themselves and the public short”.

The resumed debate had been opened by the Taoiseach, who conceded that the State was going through difficult times.

The reality of it all was written on the faces of his glum and silent backbenchers.

“Doing nothing is not an option,” Brian Cowen added. “We must move on.”

When he had finished, Ministers Mary Hanafin and Willie O’Dea initiated hand movements which suggested a round of applause from the Government’s ranks might be in order.

But it failed to gather momentum. Backbenchers have nothing much to cheer about these days.

Perhaps a chat with the third FG supporter of Nama might be in order.