Alleged plots and maths lessons all part of the life of Brian

Dáil Sketch:Sinister Government plots, maths lessons for economists, and passionate demands to press the nuclear debate button and "get it out of the way" - the Dáil's a quare place with some potent stuff.

Fine Gael's Enda Kenny started it. It was "sinister" and "intimidating", he said. Labour's Joan Burton opined that it was "potential intimidation". But Tánaiste Brian Cowen described it all as "nonsense", just "political opportunism" by the Opposition.

"Hear, hear," said his Government backbenchers.

The issue was the Government's move to bring the Tribunal of Inquiry Bill to the Dáil next week.

Enda said it could be seen as an attempt to intimidate the tribunal investigating the Taoiseach's finances. The Tánaiste "is heading into a hell of a row here".

But coolly and curtly the taoiseach-in-waiting dismissed the "contentions of the Opposition" as without foundation.

He said enacting the legislation "in no way affects the hearing of any evidence at any existing tribunal, now or in the future".

Later came the maths lesson for Fine Gael's finance man and doctor of economics, Richard Bruton.

The party's deputy leader asked if there would be a supplementary estimate to deal with the cost of the higher remuneration settlement, more popularly known as pay rise that turns Bertie into the €310,000 Taoiseach.

"This is costing € 16 million," said Richard - for the Cabinet and senior public servants as well!

But provocatively, he said: "I don't know if the Tánaiste has €16 million in loose change hanging around, but we deserve to see where the money is coming from."

Brian said 5 per cent was back pay to September, and there was no question of €16 million coming out of this year's estimates.

"5 per cent is €8 million," said Richard, asking: "Where's the €8 million coming from?"

The payments are in three instalments of about one-third each. "One third of 16 is not eight either," said teacher Brian to laughter.

So where is the money coming from, says Richard in exasperation.

Well, says Brian, enjoying himself at this stage "before we get into the millions and billions, we're not starting on a good footing if Deputy Bruton can't divide 16 by three yet".

As for the answer, the Tánaiste expounded about departmental estimates, final balances, projected outturns, growth rates, expenditure, taxation....zzzzzzZZZZZZZ.

What could Fine Gael's man say except pointedly: "You won't even give costings and you have 300,000 civil servants to help you."

Yet the real passion of the day came when Labour's Liz McManus questioned Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan's desire for a debate on nuclear power, when he opposed it. He should "come down off the fence".

However, the Green Minister said he was all for a debate because it would show nuclear power "is incredibly expensive, takes a huge amount of time, we have no skills in the area".

In impassioned tones he tells her he wants to invest money and get public support for renewables and energy efficiency.

However, he can never discuss it because when he does a TV or radio debate on energy production, all they want to do is discuss nuclear power.

"We can get it out of the way by having a debate on it."

He could be right.