Dail Sketch: The Minister for Foreign Affairs showed remarkable powers of clairvoyance in the Dáil yesterday. It was either that, or Dermot Ahern had early news of the new Fine Gael front bench line-up, writes Marie O'Halloran.
His prescience was prompted after Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny mischievously asked the Tánaiste if Mr Ahern was speaking for the Progressive Democrats when he said at Hillsborough Castle that it was only a matter of time before Sinn Féin was in government in the Republic.
New Minister of State Conor Lenihan quipped that "you had the Wolfe Tones at your party" in reference to the well-known ballad group appearing at a Fine Gael Christmas bash two years ago. The Tánaiste gave deputy Kenny a steely look and said he was "well aware of my views on Sinn Féin". She put her own metaphorical knife into the would-be government coalition partner when she suggested that not only had they links with the IRA but "I think their economic policies would destroy the country".
And she threw the remarks back at deputy Kenny by reminding him that his own constituency colleague Michael Ring had suggested that Fine Gael might go into government with Sinn Féin.
Mr Ahern's clairvoyance showed when he then asked: "Where is deputy Ring this morning?" His question came up some hours before Mr Ring's shock exit from the Fine Gael front bench, and his remarks to journalists that he was "gutted".
Was there a miscommunication between the Fine Gael leader and his former social and family affairs spokesman on the merits of the marine portfolio, which Mr Ring turned down as a demotion? There certainly appeared to be some miscommunication between the Tánaiste and Socialist TD Joe Higgins. Mr Higgins took up the controversy over Minister of State Lenihan's remarks that the Government might not reach its target of 0.7 per cent of GNP going to development aid by 2007.
He suggested Mr Lenihan was "probably wishing he was back stalking the deer in Killarney National Park".
Mr Higgins' own spirits were raised by former minister, deputy Liz O'Donnell "bagging him all over the developing world". The Dublin West TD then asked about the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Bill, which he suggested the Minister "might need in the next few days".
Ms Harney was not amused and interpreted Mr Higgins' hunting remarks about bagging as "handbagging", an unparliamentary expression.
"I suggest the word "handbagging" is not compatible with a Bill of that kind.
It is rather sexist," she said, to which a rather perplexed deputy Higgins replied: "I never said that." But it was a day when the hunting terminology appeared appropriate for the Dáil - bagging, knifing and gutting.