DÁIL SKETCH'Beautiful photographs' of Ministers lavished across official brochures did not please everyone in the House, writes Marie O'Halloran
FINE GAEL'S Michael Ring has very definite ideas about possible cutbacks to meet the new era of economic austerity.
Barring his preferred option to "get rid of the whole lot of them", he is concerned about the cost of photographs of Cabinet and junior ministers.
Holding aloft the latest clever brochure from the Department of Enterprise, the Mayo TD told his Dáil colleagues that he had seen "a beautiful photograph of the Tánaiste in an article about innovation in Ireland". Cue smiles all around, and probably a clear idea of where he was going.
There was also a "beautiful photograph" in the same publication of Minister of State Jimmy Devins, while another unnamed brochure had a photograph of Minister of State John Curran. The Fine Gael TD thundered at top volume that "there are cutbacks in the HSE, in subvention and in home help, but this is the nonsense the Government is sending out every morning".
There was laughter and cheers of "hear hear" from the Opposition.
There was no stopping him and he roared: "The Government should cut out the waste and put money into the service and get rid of that old nonsense."
Ceann Comhairle John O'Donoghue attempted to intervene, but the Fine Gaeler was on a roll as everyone looked on, amused.
He made inquiries about progress on the Charities Bill scheduled before the summer recess, but was informed that time restraints meant it would not make it to the Dáil before the summer.
"The Minister has not brought in or published a bit of legislation in two years," he roared. "It's no wonder the country's in the state it's in. We should get rid of the whole lot of them" - and bring in Fine Gael obviously.
The Ceann Comhairle reminded him that "irrespective of how attractive the photographs are, Deputy Ring is not allowed to display them in the House".
A slightly calmer Ring responded: "I thought I was being nice about the photographs."
Tánaiste Mary Coughlan had a ready reply about her photo: "As the deputy well knows, if he wants a photograph of me I will send one over to him." But always a man to have the last word, Ring retorted: "I hope it won't be as costly as this one."
Costs and U-turns were the order of the day earlier with questions about next week's marathon nine-hour debate on the economy and potential supplementary estimates. "Not in order," Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny was repeatedly told.
He knew the only department where there would definitely be no cutbacks was in Social and Family Affairs, following Minister Mary Hanafin's public comments about no cuts in social welfare.
Smiling, everyone looked over at the Minister, expecting a comment or reaction of some sort. But Hanafin sat stoney-faced, staring down at the bench in front of her. No response whatsoever.
Has she spoken too soon about social welfare?
