IT was obvious when the Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Harney was taking questions in the Dail on Tuesday that she and her opposite number on the Labour benches, Pat Rabbitte, were having some kind of private joke. Quidnunc can relate that it concerns a letter she had just passed to him. From Women's Aid, it was dated February 2nd and went as follows: "Dear Ms Harney, On behalf of Women's Aid I would like to congratulate you on your appointment as spokeswoman for Enterprise, Trade and Employment in the new Labour Party front bench. We wish you every success in your new position. Yours Sincerely, Denise Charlton, Director."
The patrons of the charity include Mary Banotti MEP, Monica Barnes TD, Proinsias De Rossa TD, Garret FitzGerald, Michael D. Higgins TD, Sinead O'Connor and . . . Pat Rabbitte. Now Rabbitte says he is searching his post for a letter congratulating him on becoming Tanaiste.