Dr Debt leaves them dull-eyed with less than bullish speechDÁIL SKETCH: THE FINE Gael backbenchers really wanted to show their support for their deputy leaderThu Jul 12 2012 - 01:00
Information blackout as Enda fails to get with the programmeDÁIL SKETCH: HAPPY DAYS for the Sir Humphreys of the Civil Service.Wed Jul 11 2012 - 01:00
Senator pushing holidays at home decides to take a breakNOT LONG now to go before the Dáil rises for the summer recess.Sat Jul 07 2012 - 01:00
Brendan and Mary Lou scrape the bottom of the barrelAn interesting exchange in the Dáil on Wednesday between Brendan Howlin, the Minister for Public Reform and Mary Lou McDonald…Sat Jul 07 2012 - 01:00
Reporter takes the hit as Enda ducks the questionSOME OF us are still laughing at the farce that was Enda’s Flowerpot Fiasco on Wednesday.Sat Jul 07 2012 - 01:00
Sarcastic Leo keeps adding fuel to Dessie's ireMINISTER FOR Transport Leo Varadkar was a bit too oily for his own good on Tuesday when he made a series of smiling insinuations…Sat Jul 07 2012 - 01:00
Fun in corridors of power over lost tennerThe following e-mail was circulated in Leinster House on Wednesday. It emanated from the Fianna Fáil press officeSat Jul 07 2012 - 01:00
Memoirs are made of this as two Marys go head to headTHE TWO Marys – Robinson and O’Rourke – will be pitted against each other this year in the competitive pre-Christmas book market…Sat Jul 07 2012 - 01:00
Wallace bounces ideas as Ross tells House of cheque dilemmaFAVOURITE MICK Wallace quote of the week comes from yesterday’s Dáil debate on the Freedom of Information Act.Sat Jul 07 2012 - 01:00
Jellies and parties grab TDs' attention but press lie in wait for TaoiseachSKETCH: WHAT CAN be more important than Europe? It was mid-morning, and the Taoiseach rose to make his big statement on the …Thu Jul 05 2012 - 01:00
Some grace in the House as gallant Lord Ross applauds EndaSKETCH: LORD ROSS has impeccable manners.Wed Jul 04 2012 - 01:00
Deputies get a little out of hand on day of Historic HandshakeDÁIL SKETCH: For all the goodwill breaking out in Belfast, there was precious little of it in the DáilThu Jun 28 2012 - 01:00
'Mammoth' Bill left out in cold as leaders cosy up for publicDÁIL SKETCH: Sidestepping all awkward questions, the united Coalition couple posed for the mediaWed Jun 27 2012 - 01:00
Amateur donor puts Ring in a spotWILL WE ever forget Bertie’s tale of the Manchester hotel dinner, when, as an off-duty minister for finance, he gave an informal…Sat Jun 23 2012 - 01:00
No breeze shooting with Barrett as fuming deputy triggers row of wordsNOBODY MESSES with the Ceann Comhairle.Sat Jun 23 2012 - 01:00
McGinley wows the HousePERFORMANCE OF the week, of the decade, of the last 20 years..Sat Jun 23 2012 - 01:00
McFadden wellwishers dwell on the doorstepsFINE GAEL’S Nicky McFadden, who was recently diagnosed with motor neuron disease, held a fundraising coffee morning in Leinster…Sat Jun 23 2012 - 01:00
In wake of Redrawing of the DoorstepsSKETCH: ‘I’ve lost the bogs and septic tanks,’ said one Labour TD, looking on the bright sideFri Jun 22 2012 - 01:00
Big Phil cools down in Rio as Senators get all steamed upSKETCH: “DÁIL SKETCH” wishes to begin this morning with an apology to all those who jettisoned their breakfasts as a result …Thu Jun 21 2012 - 01:00
Enda rubbishes Boyd Barrett's dream of being like a KingDÁIL SKETCH: Luther King fought unjust laws just like the household charge protesters will, says TDWed Jun 20 2012 - 01:00
Barrett proud of high-flying former studentTEACHERS LIKE to take an interest in the fortunes of their former pupils, particularly the promising onesSat Jun 16 2012 - 01:00
Leo tackles red tape then pulls bunting stringsBEFORE LEO headed off to Poland this week for the football, he thought it might be a good idea for the Department of Sport to…Sat Jun 16 2012 - 01:00
Service with a smile as faithful pray for Big PhilWE HAVE come across a copy of last weekend’s bulletin from the Wexford and Kilscoran union of parishes, an excellent source of…Sat Jun 16 2012 - 01:00
Astonishment in chamber as Mick socks it to the touristsAS IF cheating on his VAT isn’t bad enough, Mick Wallace put his foot in it again on Wednesday afternoon when his behaviour in…Sat Jun 16 2012 - 01:00
Entertainment in members' bar as Shane Ross tackles Olivia Mitchell and finds she is a strong defenderLATE NEWS from the members’ bar of the sharp words between Dublin South colleagues Olivia Mitchell of Fine Gael and Independent…Sat Jun 16 2012 - 01:00
Economists in Dáil stretch from here to InfinitiWIDESPREAD ALARM around Leinster House on Tuesday. Everybody thought we had finally fallen over the cliff into the abyssSat Jun 16 2012 - 01:00
Healy Eames eager to put some order on the HouseFIDELMA HEALY EAMES is busy these daysSat Jun 16 2012 - 01:00
Yet another deputy pours his heart out in a hushed Dáil chamberDÁIL SKETCH: WE HAVE been here beforeFri Jun 15 2012 - 01:00
Ceann Comhairle loses his cool as Wallace reduced to sideshowDÁIL SKETCH: THE PRIMARY school tots in the gallery were highly amusedThu Jun 14 2012 - 01:00
No mention of war on pink-collar crimeDÁIL SKETCH: The entire country was discussing it – except in Leinster House, the FF leader complainedWed Jun 13 2012 - 01:00
Empty seats at RDS illustrate that the past in Ireland is a different countryIn terms of numbers, the passion and prayers went to Poland yesterday – Poznan trumped the RDSMon Jun 11 2012 - 01:00
Enda keeps keen eye on the party's new jittery high-babiesTHE REFERENDUM is over and it’s back to reality now for the new flowers trembling on the lower slopes of the Fine Gael backbenches…Sat Jun 09 2012 - 01:00
Leo finds his inner Olé and flies flag for IrelandEURO 2012 fever has overcome Leo VaradkarSat Jun 09 2012 - 01:00
Michael Ring drives off with Hollywood star's sausageIT WAS a glamorous start to the political week for Minister for Tourism Michael RingSat Jun 09 2012 - 01:00
Eamon's hopes of seeing Boys in Green wither on the branchTHE TÁNAISTE was hoping he might manage to nip across to take in a match in the next couple of weeksSat Jun 09 2012 - 01:00
TD's tax evasion bombshell renders technical group speechlessDÁIL SKETCH: JOXER WALLETS from Wexford is off to Poland today, where he is sure of a welcome on the VAT.Fri Jun 08 2012 - 01:00
Taoiseach takes up the torch for silent leaders everywhereDÁIL SKETCH: Several times yesterday Enda Kenny was asked for a straight answer but it was beyond himThu Jun 07 2012 - 01:00
The nation gives one great big sigh of reliefTHE SUFFOCATING blanket of babble slowly cleared yesterday and a bank holiday front moved in to bring welcome respite to a weary…Sat Jun 02 2012 - 01:00
Claims to history all very well but Enda will not get involved in mere debatesCAMPAIGN SKETCH: THE CONTRAST was interesting.Wed May 30 2012 - 01:00
The only grilling Enda got during his speech was a nation at the barbecuesEnda Kenny performed well in his TV address following Gerry Adams’s appearance, but was anyone watching?Mon May 28 2012 - 01:00
Kerrymen bury political differences in GlasnevinWHATEVER THEIR political affiliations, Kerry folk stand by one another.Sat May 26 2012 - 01:00
They've started so they'll finish . . .SINN FÉIN opted for a novel ardfheis opening night function with a special Mastermind contest in Killarney.Sat May 26 2012 - 01:00
Thanks to D'arcy the word is out: 'slushfundability'WORD OF the week: “SlushfundabilitySat May 26 2012 - 01:00
Past hostilities forgotten as hospitality flows in DublinMUCH GOOD work was done by the politicians from both jurisdictions at the recent meeting of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly…Sat May 26 2012 - 01:00
Taoiseach shows he's got the bottleHE MAY be fighting on behalf of the Yes side for the fiscal treaty but Enda showed he had plenty left in him when he sent out…Sat May 26 2012 - 01:00
Fine Gael: family path or psychopaths?THE TAOISEACH is back in Dublin tomorrow for a big referendum rally in the Mansion HouseSat May 26 2012 - 01:00
Enda sends in seasoned professionals to take the hard tackles on field of dreamsPOLITICAL FOOTBALLS and political footballers do not make for a beautiful game.Fri May 25 2012 - 01:00
Barbecue season again as RTÉ arrives for round-two grillingSKETCH: SUMMER ARRIVED in Leinster House yesterday.Wed May 23 2012 - 01:00
Enda's flying visit annoys SenatorsOPPOSITION SENATORS took it very badly when the Taoiseach visited their chamber on Monday to address the British-Irish Parliamentary…Sat May 19 2012 - 01:00
Mary and Liz have volumes of work lined up since retiringTHE AUTOBIOGRAPHY of Mary O’Rourke has been given a tentative publication date of October 19thSat May 19 2012 - 01:00