Bertie recalls what peace he had in Europe

The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, who has an appointment in Dublin Castle today, was being more than reasonable in the Dáil yesterday.

There were, he said, "concerns, problems and difficulties", but he was not blaming anybody. "I am now clear on everybody's understanding, but there is no agreement on that," said Mr Ahern, enigmatically.

But his remarks had nothing to do with the alleged informal meeting he and other Fianna Fáil ministers had in Leinster House in 1989.

Mr Ahern, who has no memory of the meeting, was referring to the difficulties he is encountering in his role as President of Europe, a job that must sometimes appear so much easier than running the Republic.

Confidently fielding 46 questions together, he spoke of many cities, meetings and prime ministers. On and on it went, with Mr Ahern strutting the European stage with skill, confidence and ease.

It is all so different back home. The deference shown to the President of Europe was absent when leaders' questions were put to the Republic's Taoiseach.

There were some veiled references to events in Dublin Castle. The Fine Gael leader, Enda Kenny, referred to how, on the issue of crime, "certain members were afflicted by the selective amnesia that has struck certain former ministers in Fianna Fáil, and indeed, some current members also."

Joe Higgins, of the Socialist Party, noted Senator Mary O'Rourke's power of recall.

The Taoiseach stared downwards at his notes, looking upwards only to defend his Government's record on crime. "You are presiding over Al Capone land," snapped Fine Gael's new justice spokesman, Jim O'Keeffe, who is apparently a non-smoker.

Later, Dan Boyle, of the Green Party, with an eye on today's Dublin Castle proceedings, suggested that his party was helping the Taoiseach with his recall when asking about the Disability Bill. "It is very good, actually," remarked Mr Ahern.

The cross-examination began, when Mr Kenny wondered if Mr Ahern would be in the House today. "Am I to understand he must meet his legal team in the morning?" Mr Ahern replied that it depended on the arrangements.

"I was to discuss all these matters with the legal team at the weekend, but we did not do that for other reasons." Mr Kenny suggested that the answer, "No, I was not there", should take little time.

Mr Ahern would not be drawn. He must yearn for the relative simplicity of being President of Europe.