Enda kenny ,it's your fault

I’VE said it before and I’ll say it again…power corrupts.
What was Enda Kenny thinking when he almost casually insulted us all?
Was it the rarefied air of the Swiss Alps that went to his brain?
The Taoiseach, of all people, has to be careful about what he says
especially when the eyes of the world are on him.
His defenders can talk all they want about context, but we expect
better from our Government leader.
Whatever way you look at it, we were all accused of getting ourselves
into this mess and in turn cannot blame anyone but ourselves for the
consequences.
The global economic summit should have presented Mr Kenny with the
ideal opportunity to give many of the most powerful leaders in the
world an insight into the ongoing suffering in Ireland.
Instead he hurt every struggling citizen by explaining that what
happened here was that people simply went mad borrowing.
He rubbed salt in the wounds declaring that the problem stemmed from
our rush to get into hock with the banks and created a system that
spawned greed.
This from the same man who solemnly stared into the camera for his
state of the nation address not so long ago and assured us: “You are
not responsible for the crisis.”
But there was little sign of this carefully crafted sympathy as he
lounged statesman-like against the backdrop of snow-covered peaks in
the swish resort of Davos.
Surely his audience would have been interested in hearing something of
the property market collapse and even the bank guarantee that
contributed to the crash.
Did he leave his sensitivities back at Dublin airport and think that
no one at home would pick up on his throw-away lines for foreign
consumption?
And where were all the advisers that we have discovered recently are
so good at their jobs they are paid extra?
Mr Kenny has been around a long time and knows well the impact of a
sound byte – and this one will haunt him for a long while to come.
If he was still on the Opposition benches, he would be one of the
loudest critics of any such sloppy utterances.
Cast your minds back to an equally astounding gaffe when former
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern urged those talking down the boom to go off and
commit suicide!
His loyal troops back in Dublin began circling the wagons as quickly
as they could, snipping at hurlers on the ditch who they claimed were
just stirring it up.
This Government however is showing signs of losing its touch with the
public less than a year into its administration.
Michael Noonan displayed the same aloof attitude with his unguarded
description of emigration as a lifestyle choice.
I was there when he said it and while I knew what the Finance Minister
was getting at, I winched – as did almost everyone in the room.
Politicians should know better than anyone not to throw out an
off-the-cuff remark when sharing their thoughts on important issues.
They are quick to pounce on others who make the same mistake, so they
shouldn’t be surprised when they get it in the neck
What’s most worrying in Mr Kenny’s case is that the harm has been done
and no matter what excuses are made back home that won’t have
registered among the world leaders gathered in Davos.
The Taoiseach will be back on the international stage today when he
jets to Brussels for what is an even more vital engagement.
The EU Summit will finalise a tough new set of budgetary measures for
member states that he hopes will not mean we have to hold a
referendum.
And crucial talks will continue on getting a better deal on paying off
our seemingly impossible debt.
Let’s hope that Mr Kenny takes the advice his Coalition partner Eamon
Gilmore gave rivals and pulls on the green jersey.
The people he hurt with his catch-all slur expect him to up his game –
and not blame the spectators for his performance.
ENDS

Vincent Browne meets Klaus Masuch

THOSE bailout bankers must love their jaunts over here.

The Troika team have been and gone, leaving us with an assuring pat on the back.

The message as they packed their bags was: 'You’re on track and keep

up the good work.'

Sinn Fein’s Mary Lou McDonald, for one, wasn’t impressed and scoffed

that the good boys and girls in Government got a big gold medal on

their copybooks…for hammering us with austerity cutbacks.

But the bigwigs from Brussels and Frankfurt reckoned everything was

going great when they sauntered over from their plush Merrion Hotel

base to Euro Commission HQ.

These guys are normally faceless men in grey suits who jet into

financial trouble spots with fat cheque books.

But they know that their slice of the action will be very rewarding

indeed, and they don’t court publicity especially when confronted with

the unrest that economic collapse whips up in places like Greece.

So it must have been with some sense of comfort that they were

confronted by a motley crew of just half a dozen protesters at their

press conference.

Had they strolled deeper into the city centre however, they would have

come across more than a thousand teachers, parents, and schoolkids

massing outside the Department of Education in rage over cuts.

Undeterred, the trio settled in for what is normally a mundane

assessment of the country’s progress in meeting tough targets to

rescue us from ruin.

But this, the fifth review, was different, something completely

different to coin a phrase that will become apparent..

If it wasn’t so serious, some of the exchanges could be described as a

descent into comic farce.

For those of you who view all this a bit of a circus, well it was

certainly was…Monty Python’s Flying Circus, that is.

The scene was set when the usually dour officials loosened up a bit to

praise what they saw as our national resilience…and even tried to

uncharacteristically crack a joke or two.

Granted, the International Monetary Fund’s Craig Beaumont maintained a

fairly, err, shall we say, austere demeanour, but how his colleagues

made merry.

The European Commission director Istivan Szekely quipped about how

skillful we Irish were at accessing his email address and told how he

got so many encouraging messages.

The European Central Bank’s Klaus took the biscuit when he revealed

how he discussed our national crux between the airport and his hotel

with cab drivers who show a remarkable understanding of complex

economics.

It was all too much for the valiant Vincent Browne, who wanted to know

if his taxi man told him how bewildered taxpayers were at having to

cough up billions of euro to bondholders at the former Anglo Irish

Bank.

As a wrestling match loomed for possession of the microphone, the

broadcaster bellowed: “This financial institution I’m talking about is

defunct. It’s over. It’s finished.”

And there you have it, Vincent Browne had turned into John Cleese

waving his dead Norwegian Blue parrot at the pet shop owner.

He was only short of pronouncing: ‘Anglo Irish has passed on, is no

more, has ceased to be, expired and gone to meet its maker.

‘If you hadn't nailed Sean FitzPatrick to the perch he'd be pushing up

the daisies!’

Poor Klaus must have been pinning for the fjords himself as he needed

the help of Dublin’s Commission head Barbara Nolan to quickly move

proceedings along.

The redoubtable Browne was determined to have the last word and

blasted on behalf of the oppressed: “This isn’t, this isn’t good

enough.

“You people are intervening in this society causing huge damage by

requiring us to make payments not for the benefit of anybody in

Ireland but for the benefit of European financial institutions.”

I’m told by my spies in Washington that IMF chief Ajai the Chopper

Chopra quite enjoys his trips to Dublin and is looking forward to the

next one.

If he’s back for the next quarterly round-up, he’ll have his charges

on strict instructions to lay off the wise cracks.

Especially if Browne is around.

ENDS

The fighting Irish!!

WHAT has happened to the great fighting Irish spirit that this nation
is famous for, and proud of?
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to stir up civil unrest like
we’ve seen on the streets of Athens.
But at the same time, it is extraordinary that while Government turns
the screw at the behest of bailout bankers and Eurocrats, the vast
majority of us suffer in apparent silence.
The loudest voices raised are on bar high stools and around the water
cooler in the office...or even on the blower to Joe Duffy.
The raft of Budget austerity measures that are only now being felt are
a plague on our houses and it is within the walls of our homes that
most of the loudest groans are heard.
The last major show of people power was in 2008 when a heaving grey
brigade at the gates of the Dail left the Fianna Fail-led Coalition
with a bloody nose and had medical cards for over-70s returned.
A few mass demos since have achieved little, especially as some of
them, most notably a student protest, were hijacked by opportunist
trouble-makers who undermined the cause.
When TDs returned to the Dail after their Christmas break, they could
have expected to be confronted with another outing by our elderly
citizens over the crass tax demands on pensioners.
Lo and behold, it couldn’t have been any more different than anticipated.
The Kildare Street gates were surrounded by a screeching crowd of
placard waving school-kids, some as young as four or five.
Sheparded by their teachers and parents, the bellowing youngsters put
a nearby protest by rightly disgruntled Priory Hall residents in the
shade.
And across the road in the sheltered confines of Buswells Hotel,
anti-household charge activists were stepping up their campaign of
non-payment.
The boisterous but well-behaved children showed their elders how it
should be done.
Granted, there was a groundswell building up over chopping teacher
numbers at disadvantaged schools even within the corridors of power.
Minister Pat Rabbitte led a delegation into the office of his party
colleague, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn, demanding a rethink while
welfare groups issued missives left right and centre about the folly
of the move.
Mr Quinn finally relented, admitting he made a mistake and was staging
a feverish u turn in the Dail chamber even as his name was being
chanted in high pitched childish tones outside.
It wasn’t the size of the children’s demonstration – they numbered
only 150 or so - but its emotive effect that caught the eye.
The Taoiseach Enda Kenny himself buckled on axing disability payments
for teenagers when he realized it was a step too far.
But what is it that cows down the masses who feel hard done by, and
dissuades them from a public display of discontent?
A leading expert in behaviour reckons it has something to do with
geography, suggesting that living in a temperate climate could explain
why we aren’t banging on the doors of parliament.
"In our culture, anger is one of the passions to be kept to oneself,”
claims psychologist Bryan Roche.
“We may admit to experiencing it, but generally must not show it,”
adds the prof from NUI Maynooth.
His studies include the psychology of rioting and community spirit and
he reckons our culture dictates that anger is a passion that has to be
kept bottled up.
In a curious observation he points out: “This is less prevalent in
red-blooded Mediterranean cultures, such as Greece."
This will be good news for our political masters as they plot the next
round of economic hardship.
Their greatest fear on the road to recover however will be staying a
step ahead of global warming.
ENDS

Jedward and the Beanstalk

HAS Enda Kenny had a good festive season?
Many, himself included, would would say it was the best Christmas he ever
had.
But down in panto land, the cry from the gods was: “Oh no, it isn’t”.
Well, to be fair, it was how the rest of us were faring under the
Taoiseach that was the butt of the joke.
Tearaway twins Jedward were running amok on the Olympia Theatre stage
in front of screaming kids and their bemused parents.
Jedward and the Beanstalk played to packed houses right up to last
night and it was the last place you’d expect our Government leader to
feature.
The excited audience was told that Enda Kenny was in the audience “but
you won’t see him - he’s in the cloakroom going through your coat
pockets”!
Call it a script-writers little dig if you like, but it hardly
mattered that few caught up in the delightful chaos of a Jedward event
knew just who this mystery man was.
It seemed a lot of the mums and dads weren’t too sure either...though
no one cared as long as he didn't come up behind you!
Now that all the distraction of Christmas and New Year are over, there
isn’t much likelihood of the good humour lasting long into 2012.
While the Taoiseach was in great form when he held a briefing for
political correspondents before tucking into the turkey, he knows
there are tough times ahead.
He admitted as much over mince pies in the Sycamore Room at Government
Buildings, where he revealed that he would be hauling his Cabinet in
for a January dressing down.
All Ministers will be told they face an end of year progress report in
March and they will have to account for what is happening in their
individual departments
“If there’s a reason why there can’t be work going on about these
things, I want to know it,” he warned them.
And the former teacher stressed that it would be a no-nonsense
assessment of his Leinster House classroom, adding: “If there’s an
issue that can’t be dealt with, I want to know the reasons behind
that.”
January brings some other worries to our doorsteps, with the Troika of
international bailout bankers from the IMF and EU officials back in
town to check on the State books.
Armed with what they will glean for their inspection, the lenders will
releases their next quarterly review of the 85 billion
bailout by the end of the month - and hopefully give the nod for the
latest handout.
The euro crisis will also be back centre stage following the holiday
break, though what impact our elected representatives will have in the
so-called Merkozy dominated plans remains to be seen.
It’s been a while since we heard any mention of burning the senior
bondholders, or for that matter, improved new terms for the compliant
Irish.
But the future of the single currency, indeed the future of the
European Union, will be high on the agenda as State lawyers pore over
the less-than-appealing prospects of a referendum on treaty change.
Back on home turf, Enda & coy will be under the cosh with the
resumption of business in Dail Eireann on Wednesday.
The Opposition are chomping at the bit over the taxman’s squeeze on
pensioners, and the Coalition will be conscious of the fiasco when the
previous Government was forced by protests into a U turn on slashing
medical cards for the elderly.
The ongoing rumpus over the household charge and plans to draw up a
property tax will prove to be a thorn in Enda’s side, with the
incoming septic tank charge also sure to raise hackles in the chamber.
Oh, and on a lighter note, spare a thought for shirty Independents who
face another style war clash with the Ceann Comhairle.
Sean Barrett wants Mick Wallace, Richard Boyd Barrett and Luke Ming
Flanagan to don jackets and collared shirts - although ties will be
optional.
The Committee on Procedure and Privileges agreed with the Chairman
last Summer on TDs smartening up, but the move fizzled out amid fears
of a publicity coup by the casual dressers.
It’s back on the agenda now so watch out for a appearance soon by
cannabis campaigner Ming in his Louis Copeland-tailored hemp suit.

Brendan Howlin and Michael Noonan

AS a double act, it’s a perfect match up.
One is slight and straight-talking - the other round and wise-cracking..
Brace yourselves for the Laurel & Hardy show, without the laughs.
The Budget double-hander from Brendan Howlin and Michael Noonan will
be anything but a slapstick comedy.
It will be more of a horror chiller delivered in full gaudy
technicolour, and there’ll be no need for 3D glasses for added impact.
When things were simply black and white. Stan and Oliver teamed up for
their first starring feature roles in a film titled Pardon Us.
As if that wasn’t suitable enough for some kind of modern day
adaptation by Bren and Mick, another was The Fixer-Uppers.
And boy, do our ministerial duo have some fixing-up on their hands.
There have been so many kites flown in a blatant bid to soften us up
that there will be only a few surprises today and tomorrow.
It will only be a matter of scale as long as it all adds up to savings
of somewhere near €4 billion in State coffers.
The biggest problem we’ll have is figuring out how the reality squares
with the flood of leaks - some would say scaremongering - over the
past few weeks.
But don’t be lulled into an austerity weary state of resignation
however, as there will be a number of unexpected rabbits pulled out of
the hat.
For sure we know that VAT at the top rate will go up two percentage
points to 23 per cent, and we will be hit with a flat rate €100
household charge.
Capital gains, motor, carbon taxes and Dirt will all get a
significantly hike, with the axe falling heavily on education and
health.
The threat to student fees and in particular any changes in social
welfare will be a major factor and all eyes will be on the Labour
backbenches.
Rebel Tommy Broughan has already jumped overboard by opposing the bank
guarantee extension just like he, and all his backbench colleagues,
did a year ago when on the Opposition benches.
With rumours of some internal bickering between the parties, there’s a
strong likelihood that a few more will bite the bullet in the coming
days.
But with the Coalition enjoying a 110/55 majority, a few strays won’t
sink the ship.
There’s no chance of a repeat of the collapse of the Fine Gael-Labour
Government in 1982 when then Finance Minister John Bruton failed to
push his Budget through when he tried to slap VAT on children’s shoes.
Michael Noonan, who was part of that Government along with current
Taoiseach Enda Kenny, is taking no chances and put down an early
marker stressing there were "no plans" to change the zero VAT rate on
"children's clothes and footwear".
All the planning that has gone into the Budget might actually count
for little in the greater scheme of things.
Throughout all the marathon meetings in Government Buildings, there
was a constant eye kept on Brussels.
While desperately trying to appease the Troika and keep the bailout
payments on stream, the Cabinet will have been increasingly aware that
a euro meltdown could change everything dramatically.
But it’s on with the show regardless and ahead of the crucial European
Council Summit to save the single currency on Friday, the spotlight is
on Leinster House.
It remains to be seen whether the logic of spreading the pain over two
days will work.
Brendan Howlin is the first to take to the field in this first ever
game of two halves, unveiling what is grandly called his Comprehensive
Expenditure Report at 2.30 in the Dail.
All going well after his public spending cuts are laid bare, Michael
Noonan is next up tomorrow afternoon with the Budget as we know it.
The Finance head honcho will tell us about the tax measures needed to
complement his partner’s chops.
Then we’ll settle back for the traditional pantomime with Fianna Fail
leading the chorus of indignation despite delivering us to this sorry
pass and savage Budgets before this one.
All that will be missing is the retort from Oliver Noonan: “Well,
here's another nice mess you've gotten us into.”

Scrooge!!!

I’ll wager there haven’t been many, if any, sightings of the holly and
ivy brigade where you are.
Just a few short years ago, by the end of November you couldn’t find a
quiet watering hole on the way home from work that was wasn’t mobbed.
When the good ship Ireland was being steered through calm waters by
Bertie Ahern – remember him? – the Yuletide festivities were well
under way by now.
Who cared that the best venues were booked out in December when the
office boss could chance a drunken grope with trainee Trish from
reception even as the Halloween bonfires were still smouldering.
Well, while the party’s well and truly over in post Celtic Tiger
times, it’s not all bah humbug.
Christmas arrived early in, of all places, Leinster House, and even
more extraordinarily, courtesy of that Scrooge-like figure…Joe
Higgins.
Like the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come he had the Dail chamber
ringing with echoes of ‘Ho, ho, ho’ when he cast Enda Kenny in the
role of Santa Claus.
(He dropped out of his studies for the priesthood before going on to
become a fully fledged atheist so he was hardly likely to adopt the
role of Fr Christmas himself, was he?)
Joe’s seasonal cheer was however lost on the absent Eamon Gilmore’s
‘little helpers’ when he tried to drive a sleigh between the Coalition
partners.
He urged the Taoiseach to “make honest little elves of the Labour
party backbenchers”, taunting them for repeating broken pledges from
the pre-election campaign.
Enda seemed to be enjoying it all a bit too much as he matched his foe
across the floor with some catchy retorts of his own.
But it must have been the heady thoughts of mulled wine by a log fire
that seduced the chuckling Government leader into a careless remark.
After putting his tormentor down as a “benign parliamentary
terrorist”, he took up Joe’s challenge and vowed to “make an honest
leader of Deputy Gilmore”.
The elves were hopping mad and the deer dung was flying when they
caught up with their leader at a parliamentary party meeting and
moaned that they were being publicly humiliated by the Fine Gael
overlord.
It all seemed a bit over the top to be honest, as it was nothing more
that a bit of banter between a pair of adversaries trying to get one
over on the other.
What makes it all the more curious is that precious Government TDs
were more exercised by what many of their colleagues clearly
understood was in no way an intended sleight.
Surely it would at least look better in the eyes of the public if they
were stamping their feet in rage at some of the cruel decisions that
they will inevitably have to take.
Joe’s jocular remarks were only the dressing on a caustic attack on
Government posturing ahead of the Budget.
The bombardment was launched by Micheal Martin, who brushed aside the
usual brickbats about his role as a Fianna Fail economy wrecker to
accuse the Government of scaring the living daylights out of people,
And it is little surprise that kite-flying is a word that crops up
quite a bit in and around the chamber recently.
Between official reform plans, leaks and speculation, the biggest
surprises when Michael Noonan gets to his feet tomorrow week will be
what’s not in the Budget.
We know for sure that VAT is going up, but also on the table are
children’s allowance, social welfare, medical cards, student fees,
household charges, motor and carbon tax, DIRT, pensions, nursing
homes, booze, smokes, etc, etc.
As a wag in the Dail bar put it the other day: “If you add it all up
there should be over €6 billion and when they only take the €3.8
billion needed, we’ll feel like they’re giving us something.”
Anyone fooled by that must surely believe Enda Kenny really is Santa Claus.
ENDS

Mick Wallace

MICK Wallace brought a rare moment of jollity to Leinster House with
his cheeky plea for time out to cheer on the Boys in Green.
The developer-cum-politician had his tongue very firmly in his cheek
when he got to his feet in the Dail Chamber.
With a broad smile across his grizzled face, his tousled blond locks
almost tied in a pony-tail and his blue arm sling draped over his pink
shirt, he cut a comical figure.
His doomed request for a Summer recess during the Republic’s bid for
Euro 2012 glory got a look of bemusement from Eamon Gilmore.
But sitting beside the Tanaiste, poor Jimmy Deenihan nearly fell off
his chair as he cast a cold glance up at the soccer nut on the
Opposition benches.
The five-time All-Ireland winning football legend’s perplexed
demeanour melted as he quickly realised it was all a bit of a laugh.
Even Ceann Comhairle Sean Barrett relaxed his increasingly cranky mood
to have a chortle as Mick got the red card and everyone settled down
for business as usual.
We can certainly do with an occasional distraction from the dour
proceedings in Leinster House in these dark days ahead of a
grab-what-you-can Budget..
Nine months on from the general election, the Government defence of
its handling of the economic melt-down is still largely based on the
blame game.
Almost every time Fianna Fail rounds on the Coalition over a pressing
issue the come-back invariably includes words to the effect that ‘it’s
all your fault anyway’.
When Micheal Martin went for the jugular as 20,000 students massed at
the Merrion Street gates of Leinster House, he got it in the neck as
usual.
Eamon Gilmore was having none of his latest role as the new-found
champion of students fighting a hike in fees.
Despite signing a pledge that there would be no increases – when it
looked like Fine Gael were on their way to single party Government –
the Tanaiste.was bullish.
Refusing to rule out any rise in fees, he told the Opposition leader
it was “the legacy which Deputy Martin and his party left to this
Government” in the Troika bailout deal..
But even as the stinging put-down was still ringing in his ears,
Micheal was at the centre of an extraordinary turn-about for a major
player in the administration blamed for all our woes.
When USI President Gary Redmond arrived at Government Buildings at the
head of his army of protesters, the first person to greet him was the
FF boss.
As he and almost all his fellow TDs mingled with the crowd, the former
Minister happily posed for photographs.
Ironically, as the party struggles to swiftly move on from the
economic bungling of the recent past, it was engaging in a bit of
internal mud-slinging itself.
The rush by former ministers to distance themselves from the chaotic
final days of the last administration in the RTE documentary Crisis:
Inside the Cowen Government was toe-curling.
Mary Hanafin and Mary O’Rourke’s searing criticism of former Taoiseach
Brian Cowen fot most attention, but they were nearly all at it to some
extent.
Even Mr Martin rubbished his predecessor, belatedly questioning his
budgetry record and moaning about the communication breakdown with
the barb: “Cowen did not believe in optics."
There was little sign within the Cabinet of his, or anyone else’s
misgivings, as they stood shoulder-to-shoulder with their then leader
through the bank guarantee and all the other crises.
One wonders whether it really matters in the greater scheme of things
what the Opposition has to say, or even what the Government believes
is the best way forward.
The debacle over the leaking of Budget proposals from the German
Bundestag underlines just how little real say Enda kenny and his team
have.
Thanks to signing away sovereignty to our money masters in Brussels
and Frankfurt, the finance ministers of all 27 EU states get to mull
over our Budget before the Dail knows anything about it.
With only 15 days to December 6, chances are we’ll get some more bad
news from a loose document circulating on the continental mainland.
Who knows, something might even emerge in Poland, co-host of the
soccer tournament Mick Wallace so desperately wants to tune into.
ENDS

Michael D Higgins the Slayer!!!

WELL, there you have have it..what a truly amazing presidential election it was.
The people have spoken, most of them anyway, to put Michael D Higgins
in the Park.
Even those who didn't vote for him can rest assured he will live up to
his campaign slogan and be a President to be proud of.
It has been a remarkable journey from a troubled childhood to the
highest State office in the land.
As a five-year-old in Limerick, he was packed off to be reared by an
uncle and aunt in Clare as his mother struggled with the ailing health
of his father.
His harsh upbringing, which he never brought up to endear himself to
the electorate, was a spur for the young ESB clerk to further his
education and enter politics.
It was obviously something that he strongly identified with as the
renowned human rights and civil liberties champion canvassed
throughout the country.
A fervent left-winger with a common touch despite his intellectual
interests he spoke in his weekend victory speech of the pain he saw
and felt in the Irish people.
He bemoaned the careless values that "that brought us to such a sorry
pass in social and economic terms".
The eloquent, soon to be ex-Labour grandee, pledged that the four
pillars of his seven-year stint would be an inclusive citizenship,
equality and participation and respect in a creative society.
But it was a promise that the President-elect would never have had the
chance of making if it wasn't for the ambush that slayed Dragon Sean
Gallagher's dream.
Supporters of the poll-topping entrepreneur abandoned him in droves
when he uttered the emotive 'envelope' word after Martin McGuinness
accused the then favourite of being a Fianna Fail bagman.
Most of them switched to Higgins, something that prompted the cheeky
quip from Gerry Adams to Eamon Gilmore that "you owe us big time now!"
And it was hard to disagreed with the gloating Sinn Fein boss, well
pleased that they had sunk what many reckoned was a Fianna Failer in
Independent clothes, or as one pundit referred to the Cavan man - a
Fianna Falser.
It wasn't evident that the hatchet job had succeeded until the ballot
boxes were opened on Friday morning.
Almost immediately it was clear that Higgins would triumph, though it
took a day-and-a-half long wait for the inevitable official result
The international news agency Reuters reported that Mr Higgns'
"statesman-like poise stood him in good stead during a grubby campaign
full of personal mud-slinging"
The world was told how a former culture minister and part-time poet
comfortably saw off the challenge of a reality TV star and an ex-IRA
commander.
There were scenes of great joy when a delighted Mr Higgins arrived at
the Dublin Castle count centre expressing how happy and overwhelmed he
was.
He might not have said it, but he was mightily relieved also, as his
tireless 14 month campaign was becalmed when Gallagher sailed by him
before hitting the rocks.
The diminutive peace activist was almost smothered when swamped a
battery of cameramen jostling to capture the beaming winner and his
entourage, but he looked to have effortlessly adapted to is new role.
The soft-spoken Gaeilgeor easy manner will suit the ceremonial nature
of the presidency and after a lifetime in the glare of public life
here won't be any embarrassing skeletons ion his closet.
When the dirt was being racked on his rivals, the best the begrudgers
could come up with was that he smoked cannabis as a student in the US.
And as recently as last year he turned the airwaves blue with a
shocking rant at US shock jock MIchael Graham urging the obnoxious
chat show host "to be proud to be a decent American, rather than be
just a w..ker whipping up fear".
It was very un-presidential language alright that we certainly won't
hear any more of.
But while he's still plain Micheal D ahead of inauguration on
11/11/11, it worth sharing one little gem that emerged as the results
came through.
Recalling that recently married Sean Gallagher didn't rule out the
possibility of starting a family if he took up residence in the Park,
a wag remarked that we will now definitely hear the pitter patter of
tiny feet in the Aras.

Sean Gallagher and the brown envelope

From todays Sun newspaper

One fine day in the Aras.

MOST voters will have made their minds up by now about who they want
in the Aras.
There are only a few days left and the seven runners are at full
throttle coming into the final lap.
How they perform this week could make all the difference when the
polls open on Thursday.
This is especially true for the front runners, Michael D Higgins and
Sean Gallagher, in what has become a two-horse race.
A sizable chunk of the electorate will be delaying their choice until
the last minute and the fate of the candidates could rest with the
undecided.
It is a given in such a large field that transfers will be crucial,
and the omens are good for the Labour grandee even though he tactfully
avoided any vote-sharing pact.
His magnanimous, some would say crafty, gesture ensuring David Norris
got the final council nomination assures him of a huge swathe of the
senator’s support when he inevitably crashes out.
Transfers from Dana Rosemary Scallon could go anywhere when she
becomes the first faller in the count, but No 2s from Mary Davis will
boost Gallagher.
However, when Gay Mitchell accepts the inevitable and sees the bulk of
his vote passed on to Michael D, it could be all over bar the
shouting.
Martin McGuinness should be still in with a respectable showing but it
is hardly likely that Gallagher will pick up enough of his
transferable votes to haul Higgins back.
Before we get there though, you have to feel sorry for those who don’t
know which one to plump for.
It’s a mystery how this dedicated bunch continues to mull over the
monotonous mind-numbing vision of what the contenders will bring to
the office.
It’s all hot air, and the winner will simply slot into a largely
ceremonial role with no effective power to realise the lofty ideals
they’ve been propounding ad nauseum for the last few months.
If it wasn’t for the un-expected controversies, we’d have all dozed
off ages ago.
The troubles of Shinner McGuinness didn’t give us many laughs, and the
question of Dragon ‘I’m not a Fianna Failer’ Gallagher’s independence
has become a bore.
Has anyone really batted an eyelid over the dubbing of Mrs Davis as a
Quango Queen, and when MEP Mitchell was flinging some mud it was
usually followed by murmurings of ‘Gay who?’.
Poor David Norris hasn’t had much of a look-in apart from his painful
personal problems and disability cheques.
Dana won’t have happy memories of her family affairs being dragged
into the public glare, but she got great mileage out of her motorway
blowout being probed as murderous sabotage.
There was a rare light moment for the contestants when they were asked
what their party pieces were.
Typically, the flamboyant Norris told how he would have the Aras
drawing room ringing with ragtime tunes on the piano.
And Mrs Davis could bring the circus to Phoenix Park when she revealed
she was a deft hand at juggling…and liked nothing more than a good old
karaoke session.
It emerged that keen angler McGuinness livens up parties with a
rendition of his own poem about sea trout.
The real poet Higgins said he preferred some story telling, so guests
invited to a knees-up if he takes up residence can look forward to
some cracking entertainment.
I’m not sure that any of this will help sway the undecided, but at
this late stage it must be something special they’re looking for.
Perhaps a glance back at the last two terms of office would
concentrate the mind.
A recent RTE documentary went behind the scenes at Aras an Uachtarain
and presenter Aine Lawlor summed up what lay ahead for the new
incumbent.
“It's easy to take for granted the skills and commitment that made the
14 years of Mary McAleese's presidency so widely praised,” she said.
“But watching our closing sequence as her car drove out the gates of
Aras an Uachtarain, you could only conclude that for whoever succeeds
her she will indeed be a hard act to follow.

Irish presidential caricatures

THE spectacular meltdown of Dana Rosemary Scalllon is a defining
lesson for the faint-hearted.
No matter what anyone says - and in fairness, Gay Mitchell did - but
the high office of president is all about politics.
And when it comes to a winner-takes-all prize, it doesn't get any more
down and dirtier than the race for the Aras.
Yes, all the contenders will tell us about their lofty visions, but
it's basically a choice based on personality and character.
We want to know what they're really like - behind the reversed
speeches and prepared scripts.
Above all, when voters take up their pencils in the privacy of the
polling booth they want to be certain that the chosen one won't let
the country down.
So let none of the contestants be the slightest bit surprised that
every whisper of a skeleton in the closet will be tenaciously checked
out.
Dana has been here before, and was an MEP in the meantime, so she
should know as well as anyone that that, pardon the pun, it would be
no walk in the Park.
But since her failed but very credible third place in the 1997 run,
the spotlight is much more intense in a vastly altered world of
multi-media.
Already bruised by the conflict her US citizenship posed, she walked
herself into the most extraordinary bloomer as 700,000 drop-jawed
Primetime viewers looked on.
Obviously advised by nervous handlers that attack was the best form of
defence, she dropped a bombshell about allegations "of a most untrue,
malicious and vile nature" levelled against a member of her family.
As it turned out, that's just what they were....unfounded claims.
But as she abandoned her campaign and went into conclave with her
lawyers, misgivings about her clearly fragile state appeared to
outweigh any bounce of sympathy that might result.
(It was no great surprise when Dana finally realised it was a lost
cause and walked away...)
The TV debate debacle wasn't confined to the unfortunate Eurovision
darling though, as Martin McGuinness finally cracked under the
unrelenting pressure of questions about his past.
His annoyance at persistent grilling from Miriam O'Callaghan over his
IRA links to atrocities was obvious but his angry confrontation with
the presenter in her dressing room later was what shocked people.
He's played it down but Miriam's refusal to comment surely says more
than any words from her could do.
However, the resting Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister is by his
own admission a fighter and while Dana was licking her wounds her
fellow Derry native was basking in a Hollywood glow.
Star Treker Colm Meaney hosted a rousing rally in Dublin's Mansion
House, scene of the first ever Dail sitting, just 24 hours after the
Donnybrook dust-up.
Messages of support were beamed by video from Tinseltown as well as
other parts of the world and the retired Provo was in his element as
he vowed to be a people's president for all 32 counties.
In a lengthy address, he told an impassioned crowd of his pride over
his role in the struggle for freedom, regaling the audience with tales
including how his soccer star brother Paul played for an Ireland
Select XI against Argentina.
A 17-year old sub called Diego Maradona came on at half time, and Paul
swapped jerseys with World Cup winning captain Daniel Pasarella...the
packed audience lapped it up.
They say the election is Michael D Higgins's to lose, with Sean
Gallagher the biggest threat...but the Shinner is very much up there
with them.
From what we've seen so far, debates will be crucial in helping the
electorate make up its mind and the next of three remaining - without
Dana - goes out tomorrow night on TG4.
The bi-lingual format will be comfortable for Irish speaking Higgins
and McGuinness, though the rest including Mary Davis and David Norris,
might find it tough going reciting cupla focal from memory.
Gay Mitchell has said he is re-learning Gaeilge, but if he's going to
kick off as usual with the worthy but by now monotonous story of
beating the odds to make it from street urchin to the corridors of
power, help is at hand.
He can ditch the school-books and simply read out some quotes from the
newly launched Irish version of Angela's Ashes.

Dana Rosemary Scallon

YOU couldn’t make it up…the little angel formerly known as Dana became
embroiled in controversy.
Just when we were waiting for a new skeleton to emerge from the
closets of hapless David Norris and reformed street-fighter Martin
McGuinness, it was Mrs Scallon who got caught in the headlights.
There weren’t exactly shrieks of shock and horror when it emerged that
one of the women who wants to be our President was a US citizen, but
it was certainly a turn-up for the books.
The headline writers who promised us All Kinds of Everything when she
made a dramatic late entry to the race certainly got more than they
had hoped for.
And what made it all the more curious was that the Derry warbler, who
was actually born in London, has been an American citizen since before
her 1997 bid to get into the Aras.
Where the adopted Yank – as Americans are called in her home town by
the Foyle – ran foul of public opinion was her apparent secrecy about
it all.
Her sister Susan Stein told a court in Iowa back in 2008 “she was
running for president of a foreign country, and the decision was made
that it wouldn’t look very good if the people of Ireland knew she was
an American citizen.”
Dana Rosemary Scallon brushed it off saying she never tried to keep it
under wraps and compared herself to the two-time President Eamon De
Valera.
The Long Fellow would have been in Glasnevin cemetery long before he
presided in the Park if his death sentence after the Easter Rising
wasn’t commuted because he was born in Manhattan.
Dana has spent a lot of time on the other side of the Atlantic since
she wowed the music world as an 18 year old Eurovision winner.
She set up a company in the US with members of her family in 1985 to
promote her singing career, amassing fortune of more than $7.6
million between 1996 and 2005.
The mum-of-four upped sticks and moved to the States in 1991 and says
that for her children to be resident there she had to take up
citizenship.
But whatever about her insistence that its no big deal, it is
mind-boggling that a former MEP who is, or at least should be, au fait
with matters of state doesn’t recall swearing the obligatory Oath of
Allegiance.
For someone who wants to be Uachtarain na hEirean, or head of state in
this Republic, its an extraordinary memory lapse.
The first line of that oath is as follows:
“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce
and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince,
potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore
been a subject or citizen...”
Considering that Dana has appeared at all major debates clutching a
copy of our Constitution, it’s worth mentioning that the oath
continues:
“…that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the
United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic”.
Oh, and if you notice that she isn’t engaging in any of the
mudslinging about rival McGuinness’s past activities on behalf of the
other Oglaigh na hEireann, it might have something to do with the
duties required of her in America’s hour of need.
“..that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required
by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed
Forces of the United States when required by the law..” she will have
sworn when getting her new documentation.
In all honesty, it won’t make an awful lot of difference as she has as
much chance of being president as Dustin the Turkey, who also flopped
in Eurovision 2008 when Dana, to her mortification, was on the Irish
selection panel.
But if by any fluke she does get into the Aras and is hosting a state
visit from Barack Obama, it will be interesting to see if she joins
her guest during the playing of the Star Spangled banner…with her
right hand over her heart.

Guerilla's in the midst

ONE person who certainly seems to be enjoying the scramble to get into
Áras an Uachtaráin is the sitting tenant.
Mary McAleese must surely be turning her thoughts to filling up the
tea chests for her departure after 14 years in the Park.
One wonders when she will actually get the time to gather up her
personal belongings as she appears to be busier than ever.
While our newspapers are crammed daily with coverage of the seven
presidential hopefuls vying for attention, Mrs McAleese is dutifully
getting on with her duties.
She quietly fulfils a hectic workload in her usual charming manner
which generally goes unnoticed except among the particular group or
community she is honouring with her presence.
But when the occasion captures the attention of hungry news editors
and the State leader is centre stage it appears she has never been in
better form.
Last week, she was glowing when the victorious Dubs dropped into the
old Viceroy’s Lodge with the Sam Maguire Cup.
And she was still glowing the following day when she hopped across the
fence to open the new gorilla rainforest in Dublin Zoo.
(I jest, of course – she went round to the front the gate like the rest of us!)
But she was in flying form, cracking jokes about the close proximity
of wild animals to the State residence that will welcome a new
occupant at the end of this month.
The humour may have been lost however on one of the VIP guests, true
Boy in Blue Bertie Ahern.
The former Taoiseach once fancied his chances of succeeding Mrs
McAleese, but moaned recently that he was “snookered” by Fianna Fail’s
unpopularity.
Of course, his once mighty party’s fall from grave had nothing to do
with his handling of the economy when in the hot seat…it was all
Leman’s fault, you know.
In fairness, if yesterday’s man did land the presidency his incredible
drive and glad-handling manner wouldn’t faze him on the dizzying
merry-go-round that the job involves.
All the candidates are pushing their own vision of what they will
bring to the Aras, but in truth it will be just personality and not
economy-saving policies.
If any one of them reckons they’ll have time to re-shape the nation,
they could do with a little reminder of what they’re in for.
Before Mrs McAleese had the Dublin footballers around for tea, she
opened the country’s first hospice for children, and rushed back home
to host a visit by the Young Social Innovator winners.
After the zoo opening, the President held a reception for Special
Olympics World Summer Games squad back in the Aras.
There was little let-up the next day which kicked off in the morning
at the new Gaisce headquarters, continued that afternoon with the
presentation of the Gaisce Gold Medal Awards.
And if she was thinking of putting her feet up after a hard day’s, no
such luck as she was off to the Abbey Theatre for the opening ceremony
of Juno and the Paycock.
There are very few days-off for the nation’s First Citizen, and that
includes Saturdays and Sundays.
It would be foolish to suppose that those chasing her job don’t know
what they’re letting themselves in for, but if they think the election
campaign is gruelling the eventual winner will be living life in the
fast lane for the next seven years.
He or she will be well rewarded for their efforts, but not quite as
well-paid as in the past.
The current salary is €325,507, although Mrs McAleese voluntarily gave
up 20 per cent, a hefty €65,102, of her wedge for 2010.
In the cash-strapped state the country finds itself at present,
though, the newcomer will have to manage on a reduced wage of
€249,014.
That still a wallet-busting sum, and the new president will be further
comforted by news that the Government has no plans to slash the
additional €317,434 provided for entertainment and other expenses.
It’s a consideration that won’t bother Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness
too much as he’s vowed to take just the average industrial wage if
elected.
And if the former IRA freedom fighter does get the nod from the
electorate, he’ll be glad he didn’t get there in time for Zoo director
Leo Oosterweghel’s knock on the door.
One shudders at the thought of what worldwide headlines would result
from the grand opening ceremony being performed by a former guerrilla.
ENDS

Presidential race

THE Lazurus-like return of David Norris to the presidential race
certainly livened up a crushingly boring affair.
And the surprise arrival of Martin McGuinness on the hustings further,
er, ignited the race for the Aras.
Any election in this country doesn’t really qualify as a true contest
with a decent degree of mudslinging.
In the lull between Senator Norris’s ignominious side-step and his
man-of-the-people re-entry, the public was treated to a snooze-fest
from the other contenders.
The grandee of the Labour Party Michael D Higgins simply plodded along
on his harmless round of staged appearances and ensured he said
nothing to dent his status as favourite.
Dragon Sean Gallagher was covering every inch of the land on his
listening tours, also avoiding any utterance that might upset voters.
The only controversy that almost erupted was – shock horror – an
unseemly row between the angelic Mary Davis and Fine Gael’s journeyman
Gay Mitchell over a catchphrase!.
That either of them wanted to take responsibility for the
attention-grabbing super-slogan Pride At Home Respect Abroad is a
wonder in itself.
They were obviously desperate to establish they had it first as it
would be even more embarrassing to admit copying something so bland.
But it quickly fizzled out as did a minor row over MEP Mitchell’s
mercy plea for anti-abortion killer Paul Hill in the US.
But the outcry over Sen Norris’s past won’t go away so easily.
The circumstances of his clemency appeal for paedo ex-lover Ezra Nawi
has been well documented, so suffice to say it goes to the heart of a
nation ashamed at the revelations of child abuse in this State.
And the uneasy feeling it stirred came shortly after the gay senator
had apparently weathered a storm over his claim there was something to
be said for classic paedophilia as practised by the ancient Greeks.
Opinion poll support indicates that a sizeable number of people are
willing to accept that an inherently honourable man has made mistakes
in the past.
The senator admitted as much himself when he made his premature
decision to pull the plug on his dream of becoming the nation’s first
citizen.
Last week, he assured independent TDs and Seanad colleagues he wanted
to support him that he wasn’t aware of any more personal shocks down
the line.
However, questions remain not so much about his dark secrets but
about his calls of judgement.
It still seems remarkable that he didn’t appreciate that potentially
damaging revelations wouldn’t emerge.
He never even alerted his closest advisers, who deserted him as they
realised the bombshell of his association with Nawi was about to
explode.
So it would be natural to assume that when he returned from his
temporary exile in Cyprus and buoyed up by the groundswell of support
– or sympathy – he would relaunch his campaign with a more open
approach.
He wants to be the Uachtaran na hEireann, the embodiment of everything
Irish in the eyes of the world.
What does he do?
He embarks on a behind-the-scenes trawl to get his bandwagon on the
road again, refusing to talk to the media.
Perhaps he blames the press for doing its job and scrutinising all
candidates for the prestigious office.
When he finally confirmed he was back in the race, it was during a
cosy chat with Ryan Tubridy on the Late Late Show, where he knew he
could control proceedings.
Then it was back into his bunker – no more interviews, no hard questions.
Sen Norris’s huge ego was always part of his charm, serving him well
as the flamboyant Trinity professor and academic took his admirable
battle for gay rights and Georgian preservation into the political
world.
He may feel wounded by blanket coverage of what he considers his
foibles, but an aloof attitude won’t vanish them away.
The wannabe president may be cosseted to a degree from intrusive
scrutiny if resident in Phoenix Park.
But to get there he has to be open with those he hopes will get the
chance to vote for him.
ENDS

One fine day in the Dail.

IF you're of the view that goings-on at Dail Eireann are pretty
predictable, spare a thought for poor old Bryan Dobson.
The RTE news anchorman has done more than a few live TV broadcasts
from the parliamentary building and is a shrewd judge of the
prevailing mood.
But the normally unflappable Dobbo, whose skilled interview technique
unforgettably brought Tribunal troubled Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to the
brink of tears, got it very wrong last week.
I didn't see the dapper broadcaster arrive for the new Dail session,
so I can't say if the cycling enthusiast checked his bicycle clips in
at the front door...though a loose wisp of hair suggested he might
have peddled in from Donnybrook.
But when he settled down in front of a computer to plan his Six One
News link up, it was as if he'd come straight from make-up and was
master of his craft.
This was Leinster House, however, and things were about to take an
unexpected turn.
A corner of the car park, beside An Siopa and close to the Kildare
Street entrance, had been set up as an open air studio.
The lights were blazing, cameras at the ready, guests on standby, and
as the clock ticked down to six it was time to on Bryan.
That was the cue for bedlam as protesters on the other side of the
railings suddenly recognised the RTE star and exploded into life.
Like the earlier and smaller lunchtime demo, the couple of hundred
varied activists had been somewhat muted up to the moment they
realised they might actually be heard not just in the Dail bar, but
all over the country.
The decibel level soared and the racket showed no sign of abating
until the bemused Bryan pulled the plug, sent his crest-fallen
political interviewees back to their business and had frustrated the
technicians dismantle the set.
It was only one of several surprises that marked the first day of what
Taoiseach Enda Kenny stressed was a critical pre-Budget session of the
Dail that would kick off with new legislation to clear the way for
refernda on pay cuts for judges and increased Oireachtas powers.
As it turned out, legislative measures hardly got a look in with the
opening controversy to excite the public interest centring on how
Labour TD Aodhan O Riordain offended the dignity of the Oireachtas by
flying two little Dublin flags on his car.
When the chastened GAA fan lowered his county colours and arrived in
the Chamber it was to take part in the innovative new Topical Issues
slot.
Part of the new Government's less-than-sweeping reforms to make the
operation of parliament more relevant, it offers TDs the chance to
raise matters of urgent national importance.
Straightforward enough, one would imagine, until Independent John
Halligan rose to his feet to blast the Coalition over the loss of 575
jobs at the Talk Talk telecoms centre in his native Waterford.
But he ended up moaning about having just one minute and ten secondsto
make his point and afer a blazing row with the increasingly
contakerous Ceann Comhairle Sean Barrett he was unceremoniousy booted
out.
Proceedings were held up when he refused to leave, but when he finally
took the long walk it was straight to the waiting microphone of a
local radio station so at least there was one winner at the end.
Things appeared to have settled down by the time we got to Leaders
Questions - another format that has been adjusted ever so slightly in
the interest of transparency.
First shot at grilling the Government leader goes to the Opposition
leader ad when Fianna Fail's Micheal Martin got to his feet everyone
was looking forward to the constructive contribution promised by the
ever placid Corkonian.
With minutes, all hell broke loose and the Chamber was in uproar.
When Enda was in Micheal's chair his shows of outraged indignation
often came across as tokenist.
But over on the Government side, he's sipped effortless into the role
of chiding headmaster and lost no time in goading his rival like a
bold boy in class.
The normally calm and collected Martin, who was lashing out over the
pension levy, was almost purple in the face with rage and roared about
respect, accusing Kenny of being a disgrace.
While all this was going on, David Norris was roaming the corridors,
monotonously repeating "no comment" about his renewed presidential bid
and saving his juicy story for Ryan Tubridy on the Late Late Show.
It didn't take long for ad-normal business to be resumed around
Leinster House, and we can all look forward to more high jinks ahead.

Lord Mayor

I WANT to start with a little bit of trivia – just to illustrate a point.
It’s a political quiz, but only for the ordinary punters, not politicians.
As there’s no prize to be gained, our elected representatives will probably flip to the next page now anyway.
Alan Shatter is the current Defence Minister but can anyone recall who his predecessor was?
About half of you are probably wrong already – it wasn’t Willie O’Dea, who was decommissioned a long time before the last Government fell.
And I’d guess a large chunk of the other half have the wrong man too, as it wasn’t Willie’s successor Terence Killeen.
He fell on his sword along with six colleagues when the Cabinet fell asunder in the run up to the end of the 30th Dail.
The top gun at Defence was non other than Young Dev himself, Eamon O Cuiv, the Social Protection Minister who even inherited the Environment portfolio when the Greens jumped ship.
The general public has a short memory, and the attention span for current affairs is equally limited unless it actually means something in one’s personal life.
Even in our capital city, a large proportion of those who noticed that a new Lord Mayor was recently elected may have scratched their heads and wondered who the heck is Andrew Montague.
The Labour councilor took on the chain of office from Fine Gael’s Gerry Breen, whose tenure at the Mansion House rarely, if ever, hit the national headlines.
But a tale I heard the other day about Gerry illustrates how like almost all politicians, there’s an inherent goodness among those seeking our votes that’s motivated by service to the public.
It was related by a dear old friend who I’m lucky to know as she’s a true living legend in the world of theatre.
Maureen Grant, the grand old dame of the Olympia on Dame Street, had mistakenly turned her car at a tricky corner into the path of oncoming traffic.
Panic-stricken, Maureen pull into the hard shoulder as vehicle horns blared and headlights flashed in the dark.
As the normally unflappable Maureen fretted about how to get herself out of danger, one good Samaritan came to her aid.
It wasn’t a guard, it was the Lord Mayor!
Gerry quickly took control of the situation and gobsmacked Maureen was driven home by the city’s First Citizen with the Mayoral chauffeur following behind.
Maureen has rubbed shoulders with a glittering array of celebrities for over half a century and pictures of her with stars of stage and screen adorn the walls of the bar named in her honour in the Olympia.
But True Dub that she is, she admits she was in awe of being helped in her hour of need by the Mayor.
“He even called round to the house the next morning to check that I was OK,” Maureen beamed.
If there was ever an example of public service, carried out discreetly and without any expectation of reward, Gerry typified it that night.
Unfortunately for those charged with sorting out the mess we’re in at present, the names of Michael Noonan, Brendan Howlin, Richard Bruton and others will be household names for other reasons.
There’s no hiding place for anyone in the coming years, from the jobless to the well paid, and as the tough decisions come down the line, we’ll all have occasion to utter some Minister’s name with a degree of malice or even disgust.
Enda Kenny and his Government will be hoping that eventually they’ll be remembered maybe even with fondness for getting us over the hump.
Whatever way it pans out generally in the higher echelons of politics, in homes across the country many of this unpopular breed are recognized for personal acts of civic virtue.
In one at least, Maureen insists Gerry Breen will forever be her knight in shining armour!
ENDS

Slashers!!!

Brendan Howlin is a tough little nut by all accounts.
There's no better man than the Wexford terrier to lay down the law.
Why else would his Labour colleagues send him in to bat for them in the dogfight of forming a Coalition?
And as the ink was drying on the programme for Government, it was the pocket battleship - not leader Eamon Gilmore - who took up residence in the Department of Finance.
The pugnacious Public Expenditure Minister could be relied on not to shirk from his duty to take tough but necessary decisions needed to keep the country going onto the rocks.
But bruiser Brendan displayed last week that not only has he the bottle, but he's not short on the cynicism that this Government has in spades.
This streak of ruthlessness extends even to his own parliamentary buddies, many of whom are in a high state of high anxiety about a particular train rumbling down the tracks.
Tomorrow morning, resolute Richard Bruton will slap his new wage-setting plan on the Cabinet table, proposing measures that will hit up to 250,000 low-paid workers hard in the pocket.
Cuts in overtime and Sunday pay for already-struggling staff in the hotel, catering and cleaning sectors won't sit easily with many of the Labour TDs who largely depend on the these workers and their families to get their bums on Dail seats.
Several went public with their strongly-held misgivings when the sweeping wage reforms were unveiled late last month, so it was inevitable that sparks would fly when Enterprise Minister gathered them together to explain why he wasn't for turning.
Worried big-wigs fear the crux could drive the first major wedge between the partners and wondered was there any way the dissenters could be pacified.
Well, call it coincidence if you will, but just 24 hours before the tense face off at the Labour parliamentary rooms in Leinster House, in steps the bold Brendan.
Out of the blue, the Minister announced that new pay caps will be applied at €200,000 in the public sector and €250,000 for semi-state companies.
He declared that “in light of the ongoing severe economic conditions facing the country there is a need for leadership to be shown by those who hold high office across the public sector",
The new rates will only apply to new appointees though the highest paid civil servants, the secretaries general of all government department, agreed to a voluntary pay cut from €214,000 to €200,000
Howlin admitted however that his hands were tied from forcing a reduction to contractually agreed salaries, and urged executives to share in "carrying the burden".
There has been a crushing silence since in the board rooms of State fund companies, where fat-cat bosses earn eye-watering six figure sums up to €750,000.
The Minister pointed out that the Government had already set a good example on its first day in office with a raft of voluntary pay cut that included Taoiseach Enda Kenny having his wage slashed from €214,000 to €200,000.
A little reported development at the same time in Dail Eireann was a call from within the Chamber that even further cuts should be imposed on elected representatives.
Sinn Fein's Pearse Doherty introduced a Bill calling for a cut in politicians' pay, the most dramatic of which would be to the wallet of the Government leader.
He wants the Taoiseach to take a 30 per cent reduction, or a drop of €60,000, with further savings right down the Cabinet line.
Ordinary TDs would go from €92,672 to €75, 064, and Senators would have their €65,621 pay packet trimmed to €59, 978.
Pearse claims to have the high morale ground as he and his party's TDs only draw down the average industrial wage.
He wants to rest of well-paid politicians to show solidarity with the "dramatic decline" everyone else had suffered in their disposable income.
Against this background, there's likely to be little comfort for manual labourers when Minister Bruton seeks approval for his pay overhaul from Labour Ministers.
He’s determined to stick to his guns and it looks like his Coalition partners will have to bite the bullet.

Brian Lenihan RIP

My tribute to Brian Lenihan who sadly passed away today.
These are just a few of the many cartoons I did of Brian over the years.