Summary justice for Minister's 'Ladybird' briefing

DÁIL SKETCH:THE OPPOSITION scented blood yesterday, in the wake of the publication of the IMF report, and sought a full Dáil debate before the summer recess.

Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan, who was taking the Order of Business, said the request could be discussed by the party whips.

But the Opposition wanted a firm commitment.

Fine Gael’s Richard Bruton noted that the IMF had reported that the banks’ deficit next year would be €35 billion, while taking considerable issue with elements of Nama. He gave his perspective on the Government’s position.

He said: “A prominent economist has said there are those who do not know and those who do not know that they do not know. People who do not know something look for advice, but what do people who do not know that they do not know do? “They push ahead and brook no opposition. They have no debate, do not evaluate the options and proceed without an opportunity for proper scrutiny.”

Bruton said that people did not need to be told that the pain they were enduring was entirely due to domestic policy failures on the Government’s part.

Lenihan fingered a two-page document as the Opposition onslaught continued. He suggested that the TDs on the other side of the chamber should read the report before the House debated it. Reading from the document, which was clearly a summary of the IMF report, he said: “I refer deputies to paragraph 45 of the report which states that on the two fronts that matter most, the authorities have moved in the right direction . . . “

Labour’s Pat Rabbitte recalled a former taoiseach who had referred to himself as a “one-page” man when seeking a summary of long and complex documents. “That is like Albert Reynolds,” said Rabbitte.

The Minister read on. “Read paragraph 24,” challenged Bruton.

The temperature rose. There were Opposition threats to withdraw co-operation in the ordering of Dáil business.

Labour’s Ruairí Quinn wondered if the Minister was so “pusillanimous’’ that he could not recommend a Dáil debate on the report. Journalists searched for their dictionaries. Quinn, it transpiried, was calling the Minister timid and cowardly.

As the exchanges continued, Ceann Comhairle John O’Donoghue adjourned the House for 10 minutues. When it returned, Lenihan announced that the debate would be held on next Friday.

Labour’s Joan Burton wanted to know if there would be a White Paper on Nama.

“The IMF points to the history of Japan and its lost decades,’’ she declared ominously.

Lenihan suggested that he would have to prepare “a Ladybird version’’ of the IMF report for the Opposition TDs.

Burton remarked that the Minister was looking for a kindergarten star.

Labour’s Tommy Broughan said the Minister should wear an L plate, emulating George Lee who had told RTÉ’s Miriam O’Callaghan that he was was wearing one, given his parliamentary learning curve.

Lee looked up from his perusal of a mound of documents and reports. The new FG TD is, clearly, no two-page man.