Taoiseach becomes first post-Budget striker

DÁIL SKETCH:WHO'D HAVE thought it? The first person going on strike after the Budget is – none other than the commander-in-chief of the public service, the Taoiseach.

Have the feelings of the trade unions rubbed off on Brian Cowen? Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said the Budget and the failure of the talks with the unions had left a “very sullen, deeply resentful public service”.

But it was the Taoiseach himself who was feeling more than a little resentful after a tough morning on the Order of Business. There were rows and a series of votes over the swingeing cuts in the Social Welfare Bill.

There were jeers about the clever but cynical move to get the Bill through the Dáil this week before the petrified backbenchers go home to face their justifiably angry constituents.

And angry constituents can turn a currently supportive but wavering TD into a bastion of opposition overnight.

Unusually on a Thursday, the Taoiseach was in the Dáil chamber for the Order of Business as he was to give his contribution on the Budget debate.

There was persistent interruption and heckling. “Do you want an answer? Are you going to answer your own question?” the Taoiseach was heard to retort on a number of occasions, raising his eyes skywards and giving a look that would quell a herd of elephants.

So when Labour’s Joe Costello asked about two EU directives and then interrupted as the Taoiseach answered, the Biffo persona emerged.

“I’m not allowed to answer,” he stomped.

“Every time I stand up I’m interrupted,” he snorted. “It’s a racket. I’m not doing it anymore,” and he sat down.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore intervened.

“This is the first post-Budget strike,” he smirked. “The Taoiseach’s refusing to answer questions”

The Taoiseach smirked back: “It’ll be more than one day.”

“We can arrange that,” said Eamon, and they both laughed.

But there was more squabbling and rows, threats and interruptions, when later in the day Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin attempted to introduce the dreaded Social Welfare Bill.

When she said “I move” that the Bill be introduced, Labour spokeswoman Róisín Shortall said “I object”, and introduced an amendment. Ceann Comhairle Séamus Kirk seemed to consider a vote but Hanafin quickly intervened and said a vote had been taken on the order of business.

Labour whip Emmet Stagg, whose party vowed to obstruct the Bill as much as possible, repeatedly intervened, demanding a vote, citing precedent and calling quorums.

No further vote was scheduled for yesterday and he claimed a vote was being refused because the Government might not have the numbers.

But the Ceann Comhairle insisted that the vote had been taken earlier in the day and after much squabbling about procedure and precedent the debate finally got under way.

Albert Reynolds famously said: “It’s the little things that trip you up.”

And a day in politics can be a very long 24 hours.

The final vote today on the Bill at 6.30pm is still a long way away.