Coughlan keeps cool as Kenny brings colour to proceedings

DÁIL SKETCH:FASHION IS hardly a regular political topic. However, its benefits for health and, indeed, the body politic were espoused yesterday in the Dáil by that guru of good taste, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny.

He displayed a hitherto unexpected knowledge of fashion when he informed the House of the colour of the Tánaiste’s suit. The man from Mayo was able to tell everyone it was tangerine, though he did acknowledge consulting Deputy Olivia Mitchell “who tells me tangerine has a calming effect on blood pressure”.

After a burst of blood pressure-calming laughter, Deputy Kenny told everyone that “I did see a picture of the Tánaiste having a blood pressure check yesterday, and a good reason for that I assume when it seems as if it’s now three to one against McCarthy from inside the Cabinet”.

A comment no doubt intended to raise Government blood pressure again, first raised on Wednesday when Mary Coughlan stunned the House with her remarks that there were many things in the McCarthy report that “don’t make sense”.

But Ms Coughlan refused the bait.

“I’m delighted to see you’re concerned about my blood pressure, and I’ll just advise you it’s absolutely perfect.”

And on McCarthy she stuck to the Government line.

“The McCarthy report is providing options... but the bottom line is there will have to be €4 billion of reductions in expenditure found.”

And she sniffed: “So, contrary to what you said in your press release, the Government is not in disarray, and contrary to your other opinion that McCarthy is shelved, it is not.”

Then it was time for the tribe of terriers – ie the Labour Party. Leader Eamon Gilmore sought, for the third day in a row, to get a date from the Tánaiste – for the budget.

Ms Coughlan said “no”.

The confused Labour leader replied: “I don’t often ask what no means.”

The Tánaiste clarified that “it’ll be the same answer until the Government makes its decision ”.

Mr Gilmore believed it was “just incredible….that the Government would be in a situation that they don’t know the date of the budget”.

The second Labour terrier, the party whip Emmet Stagg, raises the issue of Dáil reform at least once a week. And so it was. He asked if the plan to reduce the number of Dáil committees from 22 to 15 would go ahead, to which he got the less-than-comforting answer that there is “no promised legislation”.

The third terrier in the Labour tribe, the party’s finance spokeswoman Joan Burton, wants committee stage of the Nama Bill – when the nitty gritty of the legislation is dealt with – to be discussed in the Dáil chamber and not in the committee room “dungeons”.

However, Ms Coughlan insisted it would be dealt with in the normal way, ie in committee rooms. It was a “slight on the committees that we would think that this piece of legislation wouldn’t be important enough to have some public airing”.