DRAPIER: Drapier has been around for some time but never ceases to be amazed at how electoral results, mid-term, can dramatically affect the political mood in Leinster House. Enda Kenny has been transformed, but not changed. He exudes a modest confidence and a sense of control.
In speeches and questions, his timing, his phrasing and clear articulation are an indication of a party leader who has come through a dangerous gap and is now clearly on his way.
By contrast, Fianna Fáil backbenchers are now openly nervous and gathering in clusters around Leinster House. They are particularly respectful of Pat Rabbitte's repeated attacks on the ideological nonsense that is breaking up Aer Rianta.
The seat losses for Fianna Fáil have been enormous, across the entire country, matched only by the consequent loss of power and office in so many county councils to which they had grown so accustomed.
The more experienced backbenchers, such as Sean Ardagh, Pat Carey, Brendan Smith and John McGuinness, know that the tide is now going out. Their hope is that an early and significant reshuffle might reverse their personal political fortunes. But they know Bertie too well to wish for that.
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For a party leader who lost his entire representation in the European Parliament, Trevor Sargent should appear very upset, but clearly he is not. The Greens did well locally, consolidating their presence around the country.
At European level the retirement of Nuala Ahern was inevitable and the defeat of Patricia McKenna was a blessing in disguise. The party is moving carefully and cautiously to enable it to emerge as a critical but pro-European party ready to embrace the European project.
This will be made all the easier by McKenna's departure from the parliamentary party.
In the debate on the outcome of the inter-governmental conference and the European Council on Wednesday last, Sargent told the Dáil that the Green Party would be having a convention in the autumn to enable its members to finally resolve their attitude towards the European project and the constitutional treaty recently brokered in Brussels. No prizes for guessing the outcome.
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The PDs won eight Dáil seats in the last election on the basis that they would be the quality controllers in this new two-party coalition. Two years on the Justice Minister, Michael McDowell, is outdoing Fianna Fáil in "law and order" populism, Tom Parlon is engaged in political strokes and public servant-trafficking, while the tired Tánaiste washes her hands of Lorcan Allen's admitted fraudulent use of the name, photograph and signature of An Taoiseach. Liz O'Donnell's disdain is matched only by poor Fiona O'Malley's bewilderment.
This is the most homogeneous one-party government that we have seen in recent years, and the abject failure of the Progressive Democrats to field a single European Parliament candidate in the recent elections is a tragic confirmation of that fact.
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We have just completed the second-last week of the Dáil session, and everyone in Leinster House is struggling to reach the finishing line.
Drapier has never seen a group of government ministers so tired and weary. The EU presidency has been a great success but also a major endurance test for ministers and civil servants.
The combination of the European and local elections together with the EU presidency has put enormous pressure on all involved. But the public does not care.
Incidentally, this is the last of this kind of EU presidency of six months' duration that Ireland will have. In the normal course of events it will be 15 years before our turn will come again. But the new treaty arrangements will then be in place. Drapier knows that history will be kind to all six successful Irish presidencies and, in particular, this one.
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George Bush had a rude introduction to the new Europe when he did his interview with Carole Coleman on RTÉ. More used to regal deference than republican egalitarianism he clearly did not enjoy the experience. Drapier is told that many of the 20,000 anti-Bush marchers last Friday night were proud of her journalistic independence.
The US officials in Dromoland left none of their Irish counterparts in any doubt about how angry they were. To say that they went ballistic would be a dangerous mix of metaphors, but they did. But the past is the past, and Ahern can claim some real credit in helping to get the very important US-EU relationship back on an even keel.
However, the lessons of Northern Ireland, not to mention Bosnia-Herzegovina, are vivid in the minds of people like Chirac and Blair. Like it or not we all have to make sure that the emerging Iraq is a success. The real question is how?
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Charlie McCreevy is on target to have a decade as Finance Minister. Drapier thought he was in fine form at the launch of the new revenue cutter, the RCC Suirbheir in Cork. He is not going to Brussels and he is not leaving Finance. Besides, the Taoiseach, his good friend, was never going to go despite all the posturing and indirect self-praise.
The mood in the Members' Bar among Drapier's Fianna Fáil friends is solemn.
There will be a minimal reshuffle in late autumn, not before, or so they think. If Ireland can secure the Agriculture portfolio in the Commission then Joe Walsh is on his way. Fianna Fáil will lose the Cork South West seat, but sure it was always a bonus. Labour's Senator Michael McCarthy will be saying novenas on behalf of Walsh.
For the first time in many a year Drapier can see the clear outline of a real effective alternative government.