Dáil Sketch / Marie O'Halloran:There can be no doubt the Dáil was a real political zoo earlier this week. Taoiseach Bertie Ahern might have made comparisons between it and Dublin Zoo when he opened an elephant house there yesterday - and the contrast most likely would not have favoured Leinster House
However, in his absence yesterday, the already calming Dáil political temperature became quite Zen-like.
Some chill pills appeared to have been swallowed.
Ceann Comhairle John O'Donoghue had even relaxed enough to be philosophical as Sinn Féin's Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin apologised for his absence when he had a chance to ask for a special debate.
"Even Homer nods," the Ceann Comhairle noted sagely.
That did not, of course, prevent the Opposition turning the Green Party into something of a "pin cushion" for its audacity in crossing the floor to the Government benches.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny had pronounced on Wednesday about the absence of Green Party Ministers in the chamber for a debate on hospital co-locations. In opposition the Green Party regularly noted the absence of Ministers from the Chamber.
He had a go again yesterday when he noted that "neither of the two Cabinet Ministers from the Green Party is in the House, nor is the PD Minister, which is a continuation of the contempt they show for this House".
Maybe they were already on the way, but within minutes Ministers Eamon Ryan and Trevor Sargent were in their seats. Their colleague, Minister John Gormley, was attending his first European Council meeting.
Then it was Labour leader Pat Rabbitte's turn to target the Greens. He asked when would the Ombudsman Amendment Bill be introduced since it had been authorised for drafting way back in 1999.
"The Green Party was concerned about it on this side of the House," he said smoothly.
Tánaiste Brian Cowen, who has a remarkable ability to subdue Opposition high-jinks and may have contributed to that calm air yesterday, said the Bill was due to be published sometime this year.
And, of course, more new deputies got to speak for the first time.
Fine Gael's John O'Mahony during the Roads Bill debate said he was "honoured to have the privilege to represent the people of Mayo".
Fianna Fáil's new Cork South West TD Christy O'Sullivan pointed out that "there's not even one kilometre of national primary road" in his constituency, and his party colleague for Tipperary South, Martin Mansergh, who has already spoken a number of times this week, offered some radical suggestions for linking the battle against litter with road traffic legislation.
He called for the introduction of penalty points for littering. The former senator and adviser on the North to a number of taoisigh suggested that five penalty points be given to motorists who dumped bags of rubbish from their cars, and two penalty points for offences such as throwing cigarette butts out of car windows.
If it's a question of being radical or redundant, the Fianna Fáil benches will be happily employed for quite some time.