Mary Lou brought to heel by backbencher

DÁIL SKETCH:SINN FÉIN'S Mary Lou McDonald is a fan of the 1970s television comedy Fawlty Towers, set in a chaotically run hotel, which still surfaces on our screens. Perhaps it gives a clue to why she has settled so well into the Dáil.

She told the House yesterday that watching the Government's antics reminded her of Fawlty Towers. "The latest water charges episode has the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach cast as Manolos, claiming they know nothing," she declared.

Ever-helpful Government backbenchers corrected her, noting that the eccentric and incompetent waiter in the series was called Manuel.

“Or even Manuel,” said McDonald, who will clearly keep a closer eye on such detail in future.

Labour’s Arthur Spring informed her that Manolos was a brand of women’s shoes.

Wielding a political stiletto, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore had some advice for the Sinn Féin TD regarding her leisure time.

“I recommend Deputy McDonald improves the quality of her television viewing,’’ he said. “It is a sad life to be watching reruns of an old, outdated television series.”

This was the cue for Joe Higgins, of the Socialist Party, to remark how sick people were “of seeing Fine Gael and Labour doing an exact rerun of the horror movie that was Fianna Fáil and the Green Party”.

Labour’s Emmet Stagg accused Higgins of being stuck in an ideological groove. “Mao is dead, even the Chinese know it,” he assured him.

Higgins accused the former junior minister of still smarting from being forced to sit on the backbenches.

Fianna Fáil’s Charlie McConalogue sought details of the mechanism the Government was using to calculate the beginning and end of its first 100 days.

“The calendar,” suggested Labour’s Ciara Conway.

McConalogue asked if the Government was taking into account normal days, working days or Dáil sitting days.

“It is now 96 days since the election and almost 86 days since the Government was formed,” he declared.

Ceann Comhairle Seán Barrett had enough of the mathematical meanderings. “This is an inappropriate question,” he said. “We can all count.”

Sinn Féin’s Dessie Ellis was counting, too, when he wondered what sanctions would apply to the Independent TDs if they failed to meet the Government’s proposals on gender balance in their ranks.

Gilmore gazed at the diverse Independent benches. “The House has addressed many difficult issues and will no doubt do so again in the foreseeable future,” he said.

Independent Mick Wallace, of the flowing locks and casual attire, noted that his technical group had the highest female ratio, with a figure of 25 per cent.

“What do you qualify as, Mick,” asked Fianna Fáil’s Barry Cowen.

“That is useful information,’’ said the Ceann Comhairle to Wallace, as he moved business on.

He then called Higgins who can boast his party has a 50 per cent Dáil female representation, given that his sole colleague is Clare Daly.