MIRIAM LORD'S WEEK:Good burgher Cowen; Ahern sticks to his guns; Keaveney hits a six; Fine Gael planning to outbreed Fianna Fáil; could have happened to a bishop; Brian and Joan risk ire of doting parents; high heels for hiking
WELL DONE Taoiseach Cowen for not losing focus in Brussels on Thursday night, even though the news from home was very grave.
A lesser man might have crumbled, but Biffo stuck to his guns and got the “belt and braces” guarantees that he needed on the Lisbon Treaty. It must have been very difficult for him to concentrate on such matters as legal declarations and protocols, only hours after hearing the shocking news about the imminent demise of the spice burger.
Under the circumstances, Brian Cowen can be proud of achieving objectives, despite being heavy of heart. It was a long afternoon and late night of negotiations as contacts continued between Ireland and Britain. The Taoiseach and his team had been given assurances that the legal declarations were all they needed, but the Irish wanted to rule out any room for doubt. Part of the blame for this lies with Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London. In a former incarnation as a journalist with the heavily Eurosceptic Daily Telegraph, Johnson and a colleague got legal opinion stating that similar declarations sought and given to the Danes in 1992 could not be relied upon.
They published an article days before the country was due to vote on the first Maastricht Treaty. After the Danes rejected the treaty, Boris Johnson claimed he played the pivotal part its downfall. As it happened, those legal declarations worked fine for years, until the necessary protocols were added to the Amsterdam Treaty.
The choreography of the talks process this week between the Irish and British bore a remarkable similarity to the Northern Ireland negotiations: all the high drama, that leaked letter, the rift developing, the doubt about the outcome, the many press conferences, that late hour, the tense talking. And after one final meeting between Cowen and Brown, a solution was found. You can’t beat old dogs for the hard road. Now for the spice burger crisis . . .
You can always rely on Sinn Féin to back gun control
Minster for Justice Dermot Ahern has been lying down in a darkened room since hearing yesterday that Sinn Féin is the only Opposition party to welcome his proposal to ban the issuing of new handgun licences.
The measure in the Criminal Justice Bill went through committee stage in the Dáil on Thursday, when Opposition spokesmen Charlie Flanagan and Pat Rabbitte strongly criticised Ahern over his determination to reform gun ownership laws.
Rural Ireland isn’t like rural America, “with a chicken in every pot and a gun under ever pillow,” said Charlie.
“I’m a bit puzzled over the severity of what you are proposing,” said Pat, who has a number of gun clubs in his constituency. With his surname, one would have thought he would have been in favour of changes.
While they may not be in the Charlton Heston/National Rifle Association bracket, the country’s shooting fraternity have mounted a very powerful lobby against the proposed legislation. But Dermot refuses to be swayed, and Sinn Féin’s Aengus Ó Snodaigh issued a statement yesterday saying the proposed measure represented “a welcome development in terms of prudent gun control”.
Were Dan and Déirdre off licking their wounds?
No chance of five portions a day from the Greens during the week. They were conspicuous by their absence from the Dáil (not unusual) and Seanad.
Trevor Sargent wandered in a few times to the lower house and TDs made it in for votes, but Senators in the upper chamber wondered what happened to Dan Boyle and Déirdre de Búrca, who didn’t show for any votes or the daily Order of Business. As a result, the Government majorities were tight.
Perhaps Dan and Déirdre, both failed candidates in the European elections, were too distressed and exhausted after their efforts. Déirdre was said to be on holiday abroad. But there were sightings of Dan, who is party chairman, leading to rumours that he was engaged in renegotiating the Greens’ price for staying in coalition.
On Thursday morning, Fine Gael’s Eugene Regan said the Greens were “operating an empty chair policy”. He wondered if it was simply about getting a Seanad seat “or is it more fundamental about whether the Green Party is supporting the Government, be it on the Lisbon referendum, the next budget or whatever legislation will be forthcoming over the remainder of this period”.
Dan duly arrived in the afternoon.
Keaveney’s wicket sense of humour pays off
Fianna Fáil Senator Cecelia Keaveney was listening to the radio when presenter Ronan Collins gave details of a competition.
He was looking for a snappy headline to go with one of the big stories of the week – in this case, the continuing success of the Irish cricket team. Cecelia, who says she is always thinking of snappy headlines to go with her press releases, got a flash of inspiration. She texted “Wicket!” to the show.
Her entry was chosen by the judges and a delighted Keaveney couldn’t believe her ears when Ronan announced she had won a luxury holiday for two in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
“I hope I’ll be able to get away when the Seanad rises,” says the former TD for Donegal North East.
Something in the water at those Fine Gael meetings
Congratulations to Fine Gael’s Olwyn Enright and Joe McHugh, who have just announced they are expecting their first child.
Deputies Enright (Laois-Offaly) and McHugh (Donegal North-East), who married in 2005, are delighted with the news and the baby is due in late October.
The baby boom in FG continues. “We’re planning to outbreed Fianna Fáil,” said a party spokesman, still giddy over the local election results and contemplating world domination.
Simon Coveney (Cork South Central) and his wife Ruth are celebrating the arrival of their first child, Beth. “Six pounds, seven ounces” says our man in FG, getting quite used to relaying this sort of information.
Joe Carey (Clare) and his wife Grace have also become parents for the first time. Lovely Alma May weighed in at six pounds and eight ounces. Damien English (Meath West) and Laura are expecting their first in early October and Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim) and Mary are looking forward to baby number three in September. There must be something in the water at parliamentary party meetings.
Meet Joe, the Stoneybatter Stallion
Labour deputy Joe Costello has a new nickname among his colleagues. The TD for Dublin Central is now known as “The Stallion”. Yes, our eyebrows went up too when we heard it. What do you do? Ring up and ask: “Howaya Joe, is it true you’re known as The Stallion?” There isn’t a man on the planet who would deny that one.
But that isn’t his only nickname. Launching this year’s Dublin Gay Pride Festival at a sun-drenched ceremony in the Civic Offices on Wednesday, Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore referred to his spokesman on Europe as “The Lady Mayoress”. This is because Joe is married to Cllr Emer Costello, who was declared Lord Mayor of Dublin on Monday.
Mare, Stallion. Geddit? Speaking at the launch, Lord Mayor Costello said she had asked the Lady Mayoress to come along but he got stuck in the Dáil. Gilmore announced he would do his best to free up more time for the Lady Mayoress so he could attend functions.
The festival opened last night, with a packed programme running for the rest of the week, culminating in the annual Pride Parade, which is the biggest street event in the capital after the St Patrick’s Day Parade.
The festival is now in its 26th year, and for the first time on Saturday, city councillors will take their place on the reviewing platform.
Bemused bishop sets the Senator straight
Senator Joe O’Toole recently praised Mary O’Rourke’s unwavering support for the implementation of the “Stay Safe” programme in schools when she was minister for education. He told the Seanad that she held her ground in the face of strong opposition from right-wing Catholic interests.
We were so taken by Joe’s passionate words about Mary we reported them in this column three weeks ago.
He told the Seanad: “Around that time I attended the funeral of one of her parents – I believe it was her mother – and I remember noticing afterwards that there was no bishop at the funeral of the mother of a minister. I found that interesting, but the Lenihans were never afraid of taking on the crozier . . . and they deserve credit for that.”
But O’Toole’s recollection of that event – which is now on the official Seanad record – came as news to Bishop John Kirby, who nearly choked on his kipper when he read his Irish Times.
Bemused by Joe’s “somewhat deficient” powers of observation, he writes to put the record straight, rather than administer a belt of the crozier.
“I attended that funeral as a bishop and presided at the Mass in full episcopal gear!” he tells us. “I was there, not because of Mary O’Rourke or Brian Lenihan or their ministerial offices, but because Mrs Lenihan played bridge with my own late mother, occasionally as partners.”
Should have gone to Specsavers, Senator.
Lucky Leo manages to duck those flying rattles
Luckiest TD of the week is Fine Gael’s Leo Varadkar, who can’t attend a parish picnic in his constituency tomorrow due to a prior engagement.
It means that Leo, the youngest of the three deputies in Dublin West, will not be judging the Bonny Baby Competition at the St Mochta’s annual fun day. But political heavyweights Brian Lenihan and Joan Burton will. What were they thinking? With their years of experience, they should know that a bonny baby competition is the equivalent of political Semtex. For sure, the winner’s connections will probably remember them for a while. But the mammies and daddies and grannies of all the losers will never, ever forget the politician who thought their darling wasn’t good-looking enough to win a prize.
“It did occur to me that there might be a significant downside,” said canny Leo, relieved to be missing the carnage.
While there will be lots of different attractions on offer in the grounds of Luttrellstown Castle, visitors should have no problem finding the Bonny Babies.
Just listen out for the wailing and the flying rattles. “Naa-Maa! Naa-Maa! Naa-Maa!” That’ll be Minister for Finance and his Labour counterpart fighting over the banks again.
Mind you, if they manage to pick a winner, it’ll be the first time they’ve been able to agree on anything. There is also a tug-of-war competition. Best not tell Brian and Joan.
These heels were made for hiking
The second annual Oireachtas Walk takes places tomorrow in the Slieve Bloom Mountains. A cross-party selection of TDs and deputies will set off from the Offaly village of Kinnity and talk for four hours.
Sorry, walk for four hours.
Fine Gael’s Jimmy Deenihan is the organiser, and last year’s trek raised €6,000 for Irish Autism Action. This time, proceeds are going to the Irish Heart Foundation’s CPR programme for schools.
Some of those taking part assembled for a photocall in Merrion Square on Wednesday. The weather conditions were suitably awful, and the politicians dressed for the occasion with their wet gear, hiking boots, walking poles and backpacks.
All except Fine Gael Senator Fidelma Healy Eames, who successfully completed the long march to Merrion Square in a pair of strappy gold high heels and matching bag.