Dáil Sketch/Marie O'Halloran: Quite a few people have their eye on the Taoiseach's chair in the Dáil. Still giddy from their success in the local elections, the Opposition gleefully taunted Mr Ahern about the possible demise of the coalition.
Sinn Féin's Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin was first to have a go. He definitely had his cereal yesterday morning, or else he was trying to impress the party's new Dublin MEP, Mary Lou McDonald, who sat up at the back of the Chamber.
He asked would he be changing his policies in light of the elections. He also wondered would he lead Fianna Fáil into the next election. The sombre Government benches broke out in laughter and even Mr Ahern grinned broadly. "At least I have changed some of my policies. I'm still trying to work out what any of yours are."
The Monaghan man was quick to reply with his own vision of the future.
"The Taoiseach will be able to answer that question when I or one of my colleagues is in your chair in the not too distant future."
Mr Ahern had his own ammunition. He agreed "we received some punishment from the electorate last week. However, thankfully it was in the ballot box and not otherwise. It is always good in a democracy to stick to that means of doing so." The Sinn Féin TD presumed that the Taoiseach would lead Fianna Fáil into the next general election because an exit strategy was not on offer to him from Europe.
"Assuredly if it were, Taoiseach, you would be through it as an escape hole as quick as any Drumcondra hare ever could."
Mr Ahern was having none of it. "In regard to the job in Europe, I think that if I was really interested in that job that I would have that job.
"However, when it comes to getting €1 million for working in Europe or staying at home to do the job I like doing, I will continue to do this job." Labour leader Pat Rabbitte suggested that when Chancellor Schröder "saw the gear in Savannah, that's what did it. You had it up to then. You had it in the bag."
Fine Gael's Bernard Durkan agreed. "It was the yellow trousers that did it."
There was more taunting about the Government's arrangements to assist Independent TDs.
Rabbitte suggested it would be "much easier to live with a small number of Independent members from the Fianna Fáil gene pool, who would very soon revert to the family."
He asked: "Will you not consider giving the PDs their P45 now?" Bertie grinned and said: "No".
Rabbitte had other suggestions about the Cabinet reshuffle.
His party was prepared to stay on until the end of July to "facilitate half-a-dozen Ministers or more who are clapped-out being put out to grass."
He said that Conor Lenihan had previously stated that "50 per cent of the Cabinet should be sacked. He got it 50 per cent right."