Enda's flying visit annoys Senators

OPPOSITION SENATORS took it very badly when the Taoiseach visited their chamber on Monday to address the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly.

It was, said the Taoiseach, “an historic and important occasion”. His audience included elected representatives from parliaments and assemblies throughout Britain and Ireland, including unionist members of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

But while all agreed the event was a big success, not everyone was thrilled to see Enda there.

Enda, who wants to abolish the Seanad, hasn’t set foot in the chamber since becoming Taoiseach, despite regular requests from Opposition Senators for him to come in and speak to them.

His refusal to recognise the House, as they see it, is a source of great annoyance.

Fianna Fáil’s Darragh O’Brien noted Enda “found where the Seanad chamber was and saw fit to address members of other jurisdictions . . . and yet hasn’t seen fit in 14 months to come to the House to speak to members of the Seanad who were duly elected to it”.

Darragh applauded the success of the two-day event, but said Enda’s appearance “showed very clearly the contempt” in which he holds the Seanad.

Fine Gael’s Paul Coghlan took umbrage on his leader’s behalf.

“This person, who Senator O’Brien would do down, is the most affable and charismatic character who walks around the Houses.”

David Norris, ever helpful, ventured: “Perhaps the Taoiseach thinks Vincent Browne is a member and this is why he doesn’t come here.”

O’Brien returned to the subject on Wednesday, once again highlighting how the Taoiseach “rightly saw fit” to address the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly but hadn’t darkened the door of the chamber to interact with the Senators.

Coghlan was disgusted.

“It ill behoves the leader of the main Opposition group in this House to criticise the Taoiseach,” he added. “As I said yesterday, he is the most amiable and approachable Taoiseach who ever stood in shoe leather in these Houses.”

To which Fianna Fáil’s Mark Daly rather tartly replied: “He’s not God.”