Labour's Lynch voices his opinion from master's chair

DAIL SKETCH:THERE IS a lot of talk about how long the Taoiseach and Government will last. There's been speculation about the Fine Gael leader's longevity. But there's not a scintilla of a whisper about "time up" for Labour leader Eamon Gilmore. Until now. Step up Ciarán Lynch! Well, sort of.

If the sole criterion for leadership is entertaining the House, Labour’s environment spokesman would be top dog based on yesterday’s performance. Although “in all fairness” as they say in his hometown, he would also qualify as an able party spokesman.

With late hours, intensive debates on complex areas of legislation and votes at all hours of the day and night, tempers are frayed. So any light moments are pounced on and the Cork South Central TD provided a belly laugh. He sat in the front row of the Labour benches, which have no microphones. And when he objected to the guillotining of legislation, he needed a microphone and looked to the seat directly behind him, that of his party leader.

Deputy Gilmore stood up, and after a bit of shuffling moved out of his seat, sitting on the steps, to laughter from all sides. Deputy Lynch, added to the merriment, remarking: “Jaysus, it’s a tough job being party leader”. But he brought the House down when, after he finished speaking, he sat back into the Labour leader’s chair, enjoying the perspective.

He had to be asked to move. It was indeed a light moment, following a row about the publication of the McCarthy group report, recommending €5 billion in cuts.

Deputy Gilmore said the Government “contrived” not to get the report, until the Taoiseach had finished his last Leaders’ Questions. Within hours of that, they “conveniently” received it.

He then referred to comments by Fianna Fáil’s Mary O’Rourke that delaying publication of the report could turn it into an issue in the Lisbon referendum debate. Deputy Gilmore suggested, with humour, that on that basis he spoke for a majority “when I say the report should be published”.

“Publish and be damned,” recommended Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, adding that if the Government didn’t want to publish, it should have asked not to get the report until September. “That’s what you’d do,” quipped FF’s Timmy Dooley to laughter.

Deputy Kenny said Ms O’Rourke might get a copy of the report from her nephew (the Minister for Finance). He later apologised that he hadn’t noticed she was in the chamber, “but I didn’t see her so far around on the seats”, where many Opposition backbenchers sit. Ms O’Rourke retorted sarcastically: “I love being on the back benches”, and stuck out her tongue at him.

School and politics – sometimes little separates them.