Byelections: There were hugs and kisses all round in Maynooth yesterday as Fine Gael and Labour cemented their pre-election pact with a rare show of unity.
The only problem was all the hugging and kissing was being done by an interloper - PD candidate Senator Kate Walsh - who gate-crashed the Opposition love-in by first slapping a kiss on the lips of Fine Gael candidate Darren Scully and then slapping one of her stickers on Enda Kenny's lapel.
"Two fine men," she said, beaming as she posed for photographs between party leaders Enda Kenny and Pat Rabbitte. The Dáil duo solidified their relationship with a hearty handshake and a walk down the aisle of the local Tesco shopping centre.
Both know the Kildare North byelection will be an important testing ground for their favoured strategy of a pact between Labour and Fine Gael ahead of the next general election.
"A tight transfer is desirable and necessary," said Rabbitte. "This pact is about these byelections because that's the first electoral hurdle that we meet."
As for a pact for the general election, he continued: "I have already set out my stall on this issue. I believe that our democracy has to be capable of offering the people an alternative government.
"People are growing weary of a government that is shown to be so remote and arrogant in its attitude to the issues that affect ordinary people."
Kenny reaffirmed his desire to put a joint programme to the people before the next general election.
"We started this business last year with what the media termed 'the Mullingar accord'. We've built on that in the Dáil. We have a co-operative venture here in this pact in these two byelections . . . and that has succeeded to a great extent. I think in the context of north Kildare, it will be crucial in taking the seat of the Government."
The immediate beneficiary of their mutual affection looks set to be Labour's Paddy MacNamara, who is widely fancied to land the seat. He said yesterday, however, that talk of being a shoo-in made him "a bit uncomfortable".
"I have lost enough local elections to know you can't count on anything until the day."
Scully, meanwhile, rejected the suggestion that his role would be limited to giving transfers to the Labour candidate. "I love it when people write off Darren Scully. It takes the pressure off me."
The two candidates don't see eye-to-eye on every issue. MacNamara has spoken in favour of removing the tax exemption on stallion fees, while Scully has spoken against; but in their opposition to the Government parties, they were singing off the same hymn sheet.
"It's a case of anybody but Fianna Fáil, as far as I'm concerned," Scully said. "They are letting this constituency down."
Rabbitte added: "There is no advantage to the people of Meath or the people of north Kildare in sending two silent Fianna Fáil backbenchers to Dáil Éireann."
Walsh kept her thoughts to herself as the men spoke. But if she was envious of their voting pact, so were they of her publicity machine, in particular the festooned transit van converted into a campaign bus.
"Not since the Pope visited in 1979 has such a vehicle been seen," Mr Rabbitte declared.
