Dáil Sketch/Michael O'Regan:A rare moment of unity surfaced briefly in the Dáil yesterday. Fine Gael's Richard Bruton noted that the Taoiseach was signing the Lisbon treaty. "I wish him well," he said, adding that the winning of the treaty referendum would be no pushover.
Tánaiste Brian Cowen, who was taking the Order of Business, remarked, in tones of laboured gravitas, that the referendum proposal would require a full effort from everybody in the House.
"It is clear that the reform treaty being signed this morning is, in many respects, a modernisation of the institutional arrangements, which is necessary for the enlarged union," he added.
He hoped, he said, that they would be able to conduct the debate in a positive spirit for the benefit of all citizens.
Any positive spirit lingering in Dáil exchanges soon disappeared with the resumption of the usual hostilities.
Éamon Gilmore noted that under the Standards in Public Office Act, 2001, the House was required to pass a resolution when appointing a former Oireachtas member to the Standards in Public Office Commission.
He had been informed by the Tánaiste that former Labour minister Liam Kavanagh was to be replaced by former Fianna Fáil minister Michael Smith.
He was strongly objecting, he said, to the fact that there had been no consultation on the matter, and he made it clear that Labour would oppose the resolution paving the way for Smith's appointment to the commission.
Cowen said that there was a "discretion" to consider in the appointment once, as in Kavanagh's case, a six-year tenure had been served.
"I would not have been aware of the consultations in 2001, but I will accept Deputy Gilmore's statement that they occurred," said Cowen, with a resumed air of laboured gravitas.
However, Gilmore was clearly irked that a Labour man was being given his walking papers to make way for a Fianna Fáil man.
Gilmore said that while he had the height of respect for Smith, "it is not appropriate for the Government to seek to take the position for one of its own, given everything that is occurring." Meanwhile, Fine Gael's Bernard Durkan felt that a reply from the Tánaiste on a variety of promised legislation was very vague. "Mañana once again. Santa Claus will come next year as well," snapped Durkan.
Cowen observed: "Deputy Durkan is always hungry for legislation. He eats, drinks and sleeps drafting." Cork South West Fine Gael TD PJ Sheehan was ruled out of order when he sought more funding for farming, but his contribution was closely observed by Labour TD for Cork North-Central Kathleen Lynch.
"I am loath to cut Deputy Sheehan off as the boundary commission has decided 50 per cent of the Cork North-Central constituency will be rural," she said. "I support Deputy Sheehan on his point." Whatever about the undoubted importance of the EU treaty referendum, all politics is ultimately local.