Opposition takes to dishing it out

Dáil Sketch: The Dáil's dish of the day yesterday was obvious. On the menu of the combined chefs of Fine Gael, Labour and the Socialist Party was the filleting of the Taoiseach over the future of Aer Lingus and how a new terminal at Dublin airport would be served - either a la competition or as a more traditional State dish.

Enda Kenny said the public palate was "weary" of reports that decisions would be made "shortly".

He worried that previous bad decisions like the M50 would result with "a terminal that will be obsolete on the day it is opened".

In a careful sifting of words, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said a decision would be made and he referred to lots of other ingredients like road and transport access and equity in Aer Lingus.

"I presume Deputy Kenny is being tongue-in-cheek when speaking of the M50," said chef de Cabinet Ahern. In 1991 nobody believed that private money was a huge rip-off and the experts feared it might be a "white elephant".

Enda wasn't impressed with the response and gave the Taoiseach just two out of 10 marks. To which the Fianna Fáil backbenchers shouted "go back to the classroom" at the former teacher.

Fianna Fáil's Michael Smith tossed in some figures of his own - "31 out of 166", a reference to Fine Gael's standing in the Dáil.

Then Labour leader Pat Rabbitte stirred the mixture on the partial sale of Aer Lingus, warning of "asset stripping", a "vulnerable" island nation and a Ryanair mark II.

Chef Joe Higgins then took over the whisking and lobbed in some volatile ingredients like "outright treachery", "stabbing in the back" and surrendering the national airline to "casino economics".

He too spoke of past dishes and the "billions" of wasted euro on roads programmes that could have bought planes and flown the entire population around the world several times over "and for free".

But filleting the Taoiseach was not the only item on his menu - he hit out at Fianna Fáil backbenchers and the "silence of the lambs" because they were not protesting at the airline's privatisation.

Mr Ahern shook his head, and said that "even the deputy doesn't believe that raiméis", which was "extreme left".

Perhaps forgetting he was no longer a backbencher, Minister of State Conor Lenihan threw in some provocative spice and said "you should stick with the kebabs".

His remark was lost to the microphone but not the journalists, and certainly not to Mr Higgins who described the Junior Minister's comment as "snide", referring to his fight against the exploitation of Gama workers.

The Minister laughed it off but later returned to the Dáil with a dish of his own - humble pie.

Apologising for his remark, he said he was was sorry if any offence was taken.

However, just four TDs were in the chamber to taste his apology and the Opposition is likely to want it reheated today for wider consumption.