Story of the Week
Like last week, the big political stories unfolded abroad, but they had big implications here. The most shocking was a night of biblical slaughter by Israel in which its forces killed over 400 people in so-called targeted “strikes”. Of almost 50,000 Palestinian dead in the carnage to date are 18,000 children. The strip of land that is Gaza is like an even more dystopian version of District 11 in the Hunger Games.
Israel can do what it wants, almost with impunity. Most states (including in the EU) do no more than give an indifferent shrug of the shoulder or some platitudes or a tut-tut.
Ireland is one of the few EU countries that has spoken out. But, politically, the Government has been on the back-foot on Gaza since the Taoiseach’s meeting with Trump (see below). Not alone was Micheál Martin accused of being meek in his meeting with the US president, the statement issued by representatives of the US Jewish community after their meeting with him suggested that the Occupied Territories Bill was off the agenda.
It’s a delicate moment for the State on other fronts internationally. The Taoiseach was at a meeting of EU leaders discussing the need for stronger European defence in response to US isolationism. A joint study by the ESRI and the Department of Finance, meanwhile, estimated that US tariffs and a trade war could cost Ireland more than €18 billion in lost trade.
Bust Up
If Mary Lou McDonald did not swagger into the Dáil with the “look at me” gait of Conor McGregor in the White House, her exchanges with Taoiseach Micheál Martin during Leaders' Questions on Wednesday had a “cage fighting” nastiness to them.
It was the first opportunity for the Taoiseach to be questioned about his trip to Washington, DC, and during the session, nobody pulled their punches.
McDonald accused the Taoiseach of “sniggering” in the White House about the housing crisis and claimed it was the action of an “obsequious coward”. Phew. That was below the belt.
Martin took great umbrage at that saying that “nobody was sniggering”. McDonald was feigning outrage and spoofing. “Get off the stage,” he told her.
That’s all very well, but does any of this affect me?
Conor McGregor’s White House visit on St Patrick’s Day was extraordinary. He got to stand at the dais in the press briefing room and met the president, Elon Musk and half the cabinet for soft photo opportunities.
It made the Taoiseach’s visit seem like the support act to the main event.
Trump had already said the previous week that McGregor was his favourite Irishman.
McGregor got another platform to repeat his views on immigration and immigrants and said things like: “Ireland is at the cusp of potentially losing its Irishness.”
The Taoiseach said the comments were “wrong”, but there was no mistaking whose visit had the greater impact with the world’s media.
Does it make any difference? McGregor has stated again that he wants to run in the forthcoming Irish presidential elections. His chances remain very much as they were before the visit. Zero.
Banana Skin
On Thursday, it emerged that the Coalition will push its proposed Dáil speaking arrangements to a vote. The proposals will allow the Michael Lowry group of Government-supporting Independents and backbench Government TDs a chance to ask questions of the Taoiseach and Tánaiste in the Dáil.
If it is pressed to a vote, the Government will prevail. But at what cost? This issue has become a tangled knot in the 34th Dáil and the vote will not resolve it. Already we are hearing mutinous tones from the Opposition, with the prospect of walkouts, protests and the disruptive scenes that marred the day on which the Taoiseach was supposed to be appointed in January.
Winners and Losers
Winner: Conor McGregor. Hard to swallow but as a prospective politician, no Irish person got better access to the Trump White House.
Loser: Micheál Martin. McGregor overshadowing his own White House visit, plus new doubts over the Occupied Territories Bill, took some of the gloss off his time in Washington.
The Big Read
Jack Horgan-Jones has a feature this weekend on how to survive in a trade war.
And don’t forget the usual must-read weekend columns from Miriam Lord and Pat Leahy.
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