Fianna Fβil's regular Santa Claus, the Government Chief Whip, Mr Seamus Brennan, who painstakingly delivers weekly Coalition majorities, had an uncharacteristically calm look.
He made his way down the steps of the Dβil chamber, on the last sitting day of the House's year, with ease. In a day when the Opposition challenged several votes, the Government had an easy victory.
The Coalition won one division by 59 votes to 37, an illustration of just how seriously the challenge to the Government was taken on the day the Dβil adjourned until January 30th, hardly the kind of holiday enjoyed by most voters.
The Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, Mr Ahern, piloted through the final stages of the Social Welfare Bill in the face of Opposition criticism and derision. But when votes were called, the spirit of the season broke out, and the Minister and his critics engaged in pleasantries.
On Wednesday, the Taoiseach, aware that he would be abroad yesterday on European business, had exchanged Christmas greetings with the Opposition leaders. But the mood was confrontational for most of yesterday, until the House adjourned in the evening following a brief exchange of seasonal goodwill.
Dublin North East Labour deputy Mr Tommy Broughan claimed the 1977 and 1997 Fianna Fβil manifestos had echoed each other. "The 1997 manifesto, entitled An Inclusive Society, mar dhea, gave a commitment to create a board to supervise the financing and operation of the social insurance fund.
"However, the Government has robbed the fund and taken away workers' money and benefits," he declared. "It has done so in the most brazen manner to enable the Minister for Finance, Deputy McCreevy, to save face."
The Fine Gael TD for Carlow-Kilkenny, Mr John Browne, offered the view that if a holiday fund for workers was raided by the management, and spent on painting premises and buying diesel for engines, there would be uproar.
But the Minister, clearly not wanting to appear to be a seasonal Scrooge, responded: "We are returning money from the social insurance fund to the people who contributed to it over the years. Some £11 billion has been paid by taxpayers into the fund since it originated in 1953."
The Opposition challenged further divisions, but the Government had easy victories.
One seasoned media observer of Leinster House remarked that nobody had done a political penance like Mr Brennan, who has been denied ministerial promotion because Mr Ahern needs him to ensure the figures are right when votes are called.
