DRAPIER: So Bertie Ahern is in favour of a calm, reasonable and civilised debate on the abortion referendum? A visitor to the public gallery during the week would have thought otherwise. White-faced and prominently sporting his Lenten ashes, the Taoiseach resorted to the kind of language reminiscent of the most bitter contests of the past. "You're not a pro-life party. You're a pro-abortion party, a pro-choice party," the Taoiseach barked across at the Labour benches with all the ambiguity that characterises his
The annoyance and anger was especially directed at Liz McManus who has the effortless knack of ruffling the Taoiseach's usual Flurry Knox image. Bertie Ahern is uncomfortable with the abortion issue and he is especially discomfited when challenged on the issue by women. When pursued by Ms McManus, Frances Fitzgerald and Nora Owen, the mask slipped. Bertie Ahern is determined on this one to be on the side of the angels
This is not the first occasion on which Bertie Ahern has tried to wrap a silly contradictory motion passed at their annual conference around the neck of the Labour Party. But it is the first time that he has led the charge to label the party "pro-abortion". He accused the party's backbenchers of voting for the motion although none of the Parliamentary Party did so. He is also on record as vaguely talking about "floodgates opening". This must be music to the ears of Youth Defence in their most recent guise.
It was certainly music to the ears of some of his more unreconstructed backbenchers. Dick Roche seemed unable to resist mining the issue for electoral advantage against his constituency colleague Liz McManus. A floundering Ceann Comhairle, could see nothing wrong with sending Nora Owen to the sin bin for demanding a retraction while Roche was permitted to remain in his seat because Seamus Pattison couldn't hear him.
On the other hand the outrageous remarks of Cabinet Minister Frank Fahy could certainly be heard on North West Radio. There was no basis for the Minister's cruel and fanciful remarks. Yet his Taoiseach would not disown him but instead took refuge behind the kind of pettifogging detail that is his hallmark when he wants to avoid a decision. How could a Minister be under such misapprehension on such a sensitive issue or, worse still, manufacture such an explanation for bringing forward a referendum? Did Frank Fahy think he could dish out any kind of old nonsense to a provincial audience and get away with it?
It is Drapier's considered view that none of this is accidental. On the abortion issue the visceral response of some colleagues in Fianna Fáil is to play the abortion card to damage their political opponents. Released to the constituencies, they will further stoke the darkest passions.
Why on earth the opposition parties are allowing Bertie Ahern to close down the Dáil for the greater part of March is beyond this writer. Almost every day the Taoiseach has been under pressure in the House where the Opposition leaders Michael Noonan and Ruairí Quinn are generally on top.
Last week it was the unexpected release of Liam Lawlor and Noel O'Flynn's opportunism that spoiled the Taoiseach's week. Michael Noonan apart, most of us did not anticipate the High Court decision on Lawlor.
As John O'Donoghue wrote a hurried note advising of the Court's decision and passed it along the front bench, Ahern seemed visibly rattled and unable to believe its contents. He didn't wait around long enough to hear what the man he appointed chairman of the Ethics Committee had to say. Ahern dislikes being forced onto the back foot by his own troops. Which is why the Opposition should seek to tie him down in the Dáil, rather than facilitate his inclination to curtail the number of sitting days.
Brendan Howlin raised the issue in the context of the guillotined Finance Bill when he offered to sit another week for a proper debate. The Government was having none of it. On the Finance Bill itself nobody here seems to know what Charlie McCreevy is up to with his 10-year tax refund to high-earning sports professionals. The GAA lobby was out in force with Jimmy Deenihan, Willie Penrose and Pat Rabbitte arguing that it was a snub to Gaelic games. Is this another McCreevy own goal?
As Fine Gael converge for their ardfheis two good weeks in the Dáil will not have done enough to cancel out a really valley period for the party. Most sections of the media have written them off as government contenders and that verdict is evident in the cockiness of Fianna Fáil. And since Michael McDowell has come back to lead his people to the promised land, and notwithstanding Mary Harney's nominal adherence to an independent electoral position, there is an electoral pact in everything but name between the Coalition partners.
With a sprinkling of independents who are really tied agents of Fianna Fáil, will it be enough? Much will depend on whether the real Michael Noonan emerges from the ardfheis. Ironically his treatment at the hands of sections of the media may work to his advantage. The Irish people are suspicious of overkill and even some of his Fianna Fáil opponents were surprised at the timing of the RTÉ No Tears drama. The suits at RTÉ would certainly not have done it in the same circumstances to a Fianna Fáil leader.