High theatre as Pringle pans Coalition's Shakespearean tragedy

SKETCH:INDEPENDENT DONEGAL South West TD Thomas Pringle made his debut yesterday as the technical group's speaker at Leaders' Questions to Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore.

Pringle and Richard Boyd Barrett have taken over from Finian McGrath and Joe Higgins respectively in that role. They had held the high-profile parliamentary gig for the past year.

McGrath and Higgins provided reinforcements for Pringle on the Opposition benches yesterday. Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte and Minister for Justice Alan Shatter lay in ambush on the Government side.

Pringle began by accusing the Government of using “a Machiavellian descriptive narrative and deceptive adjectives” in promoting a Yes vote in the referendum. Words such as “disaster” created illusions of doomsday scenarios.

“Deputy Finian McGrath was never that poetic,” said Rabbitte.

Pringle referred to the intervention in recent days of that “well-known seanchaí” Minister for Finance Michael Noonan, warning of a tougher budget if there was a No vote.

Pringle likened the Government’s campaign to a “Shakespearean tragedy” with truly staggering “scenarios of Armageddon” being peddled.

Rabbitte returned to the fray.

“I can see Deputy Finian McGrath making a comeback,” he said. McGrath intervened to call for “some respect” from the Ministers for his successor.

Labour’s Ciarán Lynch claimed Higgins had blown it with a poor performance on Tuesday night’s TV3 referendum debate. McGrath said the Tánaiste had “bottled it”, not even turning up for the debate.

Amid the noise and name- calling, Gilmore said Pringle had asked an important question, which he wanted to answer.

Ministers should tread carefully when dealing with the deceptively soft-spoken Donegal man. After all, he took out Fianna Fáil tánaiste Mary Coughlan to win his Dáil seat back home.

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald, having welcomed the Tánaiste’s remarks on the controversy surrounding Cardinal Seán Brady, then challenged him on the pay of politicians and advisers.

It followed comments by Labour Senator John Gilroy in the Seanad on Wednesday, when he asked why TDs should not be paid the same as members of the Upper House – Senators earn €27,000 less than their Dáil colleagues.

McDonald spoke of people looking for work to pay their bills while observing the political class enjoying lavish salaries and the perks of office. Pointing out that the Government had cut politicians’ incomes, the Tánaiste said the expenses claimed by Sinn Féin members were at the top end of the league table. “Never,” said Independent TD Mattie McGrath with mock surprise.

Gilmore referred to Sinn Féin’s extravagant claims for ink cartridges. Sinn Féin’s Pádraig Mac Lochlainn talked about “dodgy fivers”, a reference to allegations that the Workers’ Party, once Gilmore’s political home, had printed money.

The political temperature continues to rise as the referendum campaign gathers pace.