Dáil Sketch:A little known and vastly underrated publication, Selected Rulings of the Chair, might have been of some help in the Dáil yesterday, writes Marie O'Halloran.
The book is aimed at educating TDs and Senators about what is and isn't parliamentary language in the august chambers of Dáil and Seanad Éireann.
This highly instructive document might have gone some way to salving the offended honour of the Green Party, or at least reminding them of the difference between personal abuse and a political charge. The latter is parliamentary, the former derogatory.
It started when Labour's Emmet Stagg had a go at Tánaiste Michael McDowell. He asked what had happened to the Tribunals of Inquiry Bill, which "had the objective of closing down or abolishing tribunals".
The Minister said it was on the list for discussion but a second stage debate was withdrawn at Labour's request.
Deputy Stagg was not amused. "It was not withdrawn. To correct the record, it was not withdrawn at the request of the Labour Party." He told the Minister: "We thought you were very stupid to bring it forward."
Ceann Comhairle Dr Rory O'Hanlon, the current chair in question in Selected Rulings, and arbiter of all things parliamentary, jumped in immediately.
"It is not appropriate to refer to a deputy in derogatory terms. I ask the deputy to withdraw the remark."
In words laced with sarcasm, Deputy Stagg said: "I apologise to the genius."
The Minister smiled and everyone laughed. Or almost everyone.
Green Party leader Trevor Sargent was still smarting on behalf of his colleague John Gormley, whom Minister McDowell only last week had accused of "behaving like a fascist". It was a row ostensibly over elderly nursing homes and tax relief for owners, but became a sharp exchange over ideologies.
Deputy Sargent obviously recalled all this. Once the Ceann Comhairle demanded that Deputy Stagg withdraw the "stupid" remark the leader of the Greens was heard by a few to remark tetchily: "So fascist is parliamentary but stupid isn't."
Earlier there was some bemusement when Labour leader Pat Rabbitte mentioned the Manchester martyrs. He came to it by a somewhat circuitous route. Deputy Rabbitte first asked the Tánaiste if the Taoiseach had consulted him before he made his big announcement to the Fianna Fáil Ardfheis about a referendum on children's rights. He then added that "the weekend newspapers carried stories to the effect that the Taoiseach intends to exhume the Manchester martyrs. Were you consulted on that?"
Michael McDowell looked at him in complete bafflement and then looked to his Cabinet colleagues.
Deputy Rabbitte added cuttingly: "He did not show any interest in exhuming details of his own activities in Manchester. Did the Taoiseach bypass the Tánaiste on this?"
In a lawyerly reply, the Minister said: "I was in conversation with the Taoiseach before the Fianna Fáil Ardfheis and he did not make the announcement without consulting me." He added, with a smile: "I know nothing about exhuming the Manchester martyrs."
Mr Rabbitte retorted: "Does the Tánaiste have a blind spot about Manchester? He never knows anything relating to that city."