THE hepatitis C saga got another airing in the House but there were still more questions than answers by the end. As Liz O'Donnell pointed out, the Dail is probably the last place you should go if you want information.
The first question is: do Irishmen care about Irish women? The overwhelming majority of TDs attending and taking part in the debate were female. No doubt, male TDs would protest that they do care, but why are they so shy about showing it?
Second; is it not the whole function and purpose of the State to act at all times in the public interest? Yet it has been deemed necessary to have separate legal teams representing the State and the public interest at the tribunal. The implication here is that the State is, at least potentially, the enemy of the people.
Third question: do Fianna Fail sincerely want to get into power? Michael Noonan was at the lowest ebb of his political career. Surely the Soldiers of Destiny could rustle up a good old fashioned turkey shoot? Unbelievably, the main opposition party could not even supply sufficient speakers to keep the debate going on this major issue, and two Fine Gael TDs were able to speak in succession.
Some have greatness thrust upon them, and so it was that Dr Tom Moffatt, a low profile Fianna Fail TD from Mayo East, found himself centre of the parliamentary stage.
Having delivered the observation that it was "a bad week indeed for the women in our country" the Ballina Demosthenes widened his focus to attack Fine Gael on issues that had nothing at all to do with the present scandal. He criticised Michael Lowry's transport policy and gave a lash also to Seymour Crawford and Michael Ring on other issues.
Maire Geoghegan Quinn was more formidable. It can't have been easy for Michael Noonan to get out of bed yesterday morning, and the thought of facing the raven haired Grainne Mhaol across the chamber must have been almost intimidating.
Rarely has a more comprehensive denunciation of one politician by another been heard in Leinster House. It brought back memories of the Bell, Book and Candle days when Charles Haughey was cast in the role of resident ogre. There were echoes, too, of Dick Spring in his high moral ground opposition mode.
Michael Noonan sat through the Fianna Fail denunciations impassively. He was an exemplar of Noel Coward's dictum: "Never let the buggers know they've hurt you." Above him in the public gallery, the women from Positive Action held a watching brief.
The important thing for Michael Noonan was not to say anything that would make them walk out again. It must have been hell for one with such a ready wit and clever turn of phrase. I'll bet his tongue was bitten right through by the end.
There were no Labour speakers, although junior Health Minister Brian O'Shea sat through the debate with the expression of an errant schoolboy. Cross party loyalty is more of a Democratic Left trait and Liz McManus rowed in with qualified support for Michael Noonan.
She smacked the Minister smartly over the head for being "grossly insensitive" the previous evening but said that he should be judged by his actions. Lay off Micko was her message: "Not just a good Minister but also a good man".
Morally speaking, we now have a situation of dual power in Ireland. The political system and State bureaucracy appear to have betrayed our trust: the real moral authority belongs with Positive Action. What a pity we can't vote for them.