Over the last two weeks there have been nothing but Christmas parties to attend. All the major political groupings had their big bashes and there were quite a lot of sore heads, particularly on Thursday.
The week started with the absence of the Taoiseach who was on his successful jaunt around America, so the Tanaiste Mary Harney took the Order of Business on Tuesday. The very predictable jibes regarding their skip difficulties came hard and fast. Some of them were quite cruel and cutting, particularly the remark thrown by one Fine Gael backbencher that "the PDs themselves will end up in a skip soon".
Mary Harney handled the jibes with good humour. This couldn't hide her extreme disquiet at what had happened. Drapier has heard some peculiar stories as to how the documents ended up in the skip (or if they didn't, how they ended up with the Sunday newspaper). Hopefully, the PD investigation will give the full facts but all in all it was a week of rebuffs to the PDs.
Fianna Fail's reaction ail was interesting. There was a time when they would be very openly and collectively laughing up their sleeves, but this time it was different. While there was delight in some Fianna Fail quarters, Drapier got the impression that generally there was no appetite for gloating. Maybe this is to do with the fact that so many Fianna Failers are content in their Mercs and have moved away from their "when in doubt, leave them out" days. Others would say that the reason for the general lack of reaction from Fianna Fail on this is because there is a new arrogance within their ranks (albeit suppressed) in the knowledge that the PDs' life expectancy prospects are not good.
More abuse was heaped on to the PDs over the extraordinary u-turning by Bobby Molloy over a proposed housing development in Co Carlow. Drapier had been in the Chamber on a number of occasions over the last few weeks when John Browne, Fine Gael TD for Carlow-Kilkenny, tried in vain to raise this issue at the Order of Business with the Ceann Comhairle. But he was ruled out of order every time. It was only when he was able to persuade his masters in Fine Gael to put down a Private Members Motion that he got results.
For some extraordinary reason Bobby Molloy did an about turn, once this motion was put down and announced the go-ahead for these houses, having previously refused them sanction. This must have been manna to Fine Gael, who felt that on top of the leaking of documents this was yet another nail in the PDs' (breaking the mould) politics.
It was alleged by Fine Gael that Bobby Molloy made his original decision to refuse the houses because his party chairman Jim Gibbons lived next door to the proposed development. Bobby Molloy protested that that was not the case but some political damage has been done. While Fine Gaelers were delighted with the PDs' discomfort others, particularly surprisingly, some in Fianna Fail were stating that it was much ado about nothing.
The last government, readers will recall, were alleged to be glued together - in Mary O'Rourke's words and despite all efforts by Fianna Fail and the PDs they could not be dissolved. The same could exactly be said of the present Government partners. Relations seem to be extremely good, even the most anti-PD person within the Fianna Fail ranks can find very little fault with their PD colleagues. Drapier hears that on a personal basis the Fianna Fail and PD ministers are getting on with each other far better than expected.
Governments getting on so well together like this and the previous government can lead to a most boring life. Gone are the heady days of those exciting times between 1989 and 1994 when the folks involved in the governing parties were always certain to provide entertainment for the public and fodder for the opposition.
Performance of the week must have been that of Brian Cowen on the CJD issue. The news broadcasts on Monday and Tuesday had heralded the Dail debate which was expected to put Cowen under pressure. But he handled the situation in a masterful way, batting every question from the opposition with consummate ease. He was so good that the issue, from the media's point of view, was virtually forgotten the next day. This is always a clear indication that someone in his position had won the argument but Brian Cowen knows only too well that life in a Department like Health can throw up the unexpected - and no doubt it will.
One of the most unusual incidents in recent times happened during the debate motion against racism. John O'Donoghue, the Justice Minister, normally regarded as "one of the lads" and not prone to anger, was required to "dump" on Ivor Callelly. Readers will remember that Ivor had some very strident views on refugees, which caused, in part, the opposition to call for a Dail motion against racism, to which the Government could not object. When the Government launched this debate through John O'Donoghue, who was it who plonked himself in the seat beside O'Donoghue on the Fianna Fail Cabinet seats but Ivor. Of course John Bruton, immediately pointing to this, questioned whether or not Fianna Fail were going to distance themselves from the same Ivor and his views. This caused grave discomfort to O'Donoghue, who immediately and very publicly slapped Ivor down by emphasising the fact that Ivor had not been appointed to the Fianna Fail higher echelons something which, no doubt still rankles with Ivor.
Come to think of it, Ivor is again in the news, having put down a parliamentary question inquiring about Fine Gael's Ber- nard Allen's travel while a minister, which came up with some juicy details about many foreign visits. This may very well make good reading but Drapier would warn Ivor that the day which he most covets may very well come (i.e. being made a minister) and the shoe will be on the other foot as far as the Opposition are concerned.
All in all, as we draw towards the end of the year, there have been huge changes. Fianna Fail would claim that they entered 1997 in opposition with a distinct prospect of more after the election but that the situation has been dramatically turned around in that they now have a Taoiseach and Government in place and a Fianna Fail President.
They also would point to the retiring of Dick Spring and Fergus Finlay as another feather in their cap. Undoubtedly, it has been an extremely successful year for Bertie Ahern and Co, in that they achieved the heights despite huge difficulties such as Haughey and Burke along the way. The other parties have had their own ups and downs. While Fine Gael point to their extremely successful general election campaign, they are also ruing the fact that they called the election when they did.