Colonel Willie O'Dea had his first outing at Question Time as Minister for Defence yesterday. He braved Opposition sniper fire for close on two hours, because he had to also use up the time allocated to Field Marshal Bertie Ahern, who is busy on a tour of duty in South-East Asia.
There was a temporary cessation of hostilities from the Fine Gael sniper, Dinny McGinley, who congratulated Colonel O'Dea on his new role. "I am sure he will understand if I express the hope that it will not be too long and that he may soon be looking at it from this side of the House," said Sniper McGinley.
Colonel O'Dea was grateful, adding he could not say how long he would be in Cabinet. But he could not hide his delight, and quoted the former British chancellor of the exchequer, Denis Healy, who once remarked that it was better to be a has-been than a never-was. It was an observation which found an echo among the colonel's backbench colleagues overlooked for promotion by Field Marshal Ahern.
He might be at a safe distance in South-East Asia, but the bitching in the corridors and smoke-free rooms continue. Then there is the anger of the demoted Private Séamus Brennan and the dismissed Dr Jim McDaid.
Perhaps Field Marshal Ahern might invest in a mosquito net for protection when he returns to the nitty-gritty of domestic politics. Mind you, if Sniper Joe Sherlock, of Labour, is correct, he will be paying for the protective gear himself. Colonel O'Dea denied Sniper Sherlock's claims that Irish troops serving in Liberia have to pay for their mosquito nets and repellents.
As Colonel O'Dea completed his ministerial debut, it was the turn of Sergeant Major Mary Harney to stand in at leaders' questions for Field Marshal Ahern.
She was joined by fellow female Cabinet colleagues, Mary Hanafin and Mary Coughlan. Micheál Martin then joined the three Marys.
There were some barbed comments from the Opposition benches about that house in Roosky. Pat Rabbitte referred to Michael McDowell's contribution to one-off rural housing, while Joe Higgins evoked a picture of the Minister for Justice sleeping under an open sky in a roofless house.
Meanwhile, Fine Gael's latest recruit, former Independent, Liam Twomey, sat on the party's front bench. Perhaps he has advance news of Enda Kenny's reshuffle to be announced today.
Although free from the Dáil, there was sniper fire from behind for Colonel O'Dea when PD backbencher, Mae Sexton, issued a statement last night urging him to look again at the arrangement whereby troops based in Liberia have to pay €500 to fly home on leave.
But it might yet be nothing to what Fianna Fáil snipers will fire in the direction of Field Marshal Ahern when he returns on the Government jet on Friday.