Reporter takes the hit as Enda ducks the question

SOME OF us are still laughing at the farce that was Enda’s Flowerpot Fiasco on Wednesday.

But TV3’s Ursula Halligan didn’t find the incident in the least bit funny after the Government press secretary – like his predecessor, a former Army man – contacted her commanding officer and two of his lieutenants to complain about her allegedly aggressive behaviour towards his commander in chief, Generalissimo Enda Kenny.

Ms Halligan – a mere media footsoldier – was deeply upset when informed by her bosses that a very serious complaint had been made against her. The word “assault” was mentioned.

If shouting a legitimate question at the Taoiseach while pointing a microphone in his general direction is tantamount to assault, where does that leave Enda, the thumping Taoiseach? Going by the bizarre standards of his handlers, the Taoiseach should be serving time for grievous bodily harm.

When it comes to assault, there is nobody more tactile than Enda Kenny. He criss-crosses the country in a blur of friendly fists and palsy-walsy punches, dispensing manly wallops to all comers.

He’s famous for it. It’s part of his charm.

On Wednesday, the journalists and camera people may have jostled each other black and blue but nobody came near to touching the Taoiseach. That would have happened only if he had pitched into the petunias – plenty of arms would have extended to save him.

Enda was none the worse for his experience, smiling after he emerged from the scrum without answering the question on gay marriage that he didn’t want to address.

And the real irony was that Ursula, who never laid a finger on the Taoiseach, got quite a buffeting when one of his aides bumped heavily into her.

The Minister for Finance saw the funny side. At a press briefing yesterday, Michael Noonan welcomed the doughty TV3 woman with the words: “I thought you were in hospital!”