After last week's Budget hiatus the House settled down to a much more relaxed pace, at least at the start of the week. Even though there was a welter of media comment about the Budget since then, in here it didn't receive the same attention, particularly from the Opposition.
Drapier puts that down to the fact that, privately at least, most of the Opposition were envious of the latitude Charlie McCreevy had. Even though a number of lobby groups expressed their disappointment, the Opposition were regretting their lost opportunity.
Although Labour were decrying the fact that the Budget seemed to lean towards what they called "the rich", they could equally have been accused of looking after the better-off in society when they themselves were in Government.
Drapier was particularly taken with the stinging criticism by Matt Merrigan, a retired trade unionist who, while accusing all politicians, singled out the Labour leader Ruairi Quinn for allowing State pensions to decline in value during his tenure as Minister for Finance.
The current Minister has been out and about since his Budget speech promoting and defending it. All in all, Drapier thinks it was an extremely good Budget though he feels the Government scored an own-goal in the announcement of £20 million for Croke Park.
This announcement in the Budget allowed every lobby group in the State to make a comparison, and in the multi-media society of today they were well facilitated in airing their views. A number of Fianna Fail deputies, particularly, were scratching their heads as to why the Minister did not save this announcement for another day.
Despite McCreevy's best efforts to defend his Budget, The Irish Times/MRBI poll says it all: that the vast majority of people believed their position would not be enhanced as a result of the Budget and that it was a Budget for the rich. But as one commentator asked: "Who exactly are the rich", a point made by Charlie McCreevy time and again.
McCreevy also made the point very strongly that he was merely implementing the promises Fianna Fail and the PDs had made before the election. Drapier thinks there is something in this in that had they done anything other than what they had promised, they would have been accused of doing a U-turn.
The Opposition was criticising the Budget, saying it was framed with one eye on the by-elections, and Drapier thinks there may very well be an element of truth in this in that in both constituencies there are large tracts of suburbia which will benefit from the budgetary changes in income tax
Drapier, like most people, read the weekend's papers where it was suggested Oireachtas members were going to get enhanced salaries/expenses over the Christmas period. Drapier hasn't heard anything definite on this but as he stated before, from what he hears, unless something is done quickly about this, members would revolt.
Readers might ask how? Drapier hears that a suggestion was being floated that an all-party group of backbenchers was considering setting down a motion in the Dail putting it up to the Government.
Because of the whip system Drapier doesn't think this would ever see the light of day, but the fact that it would be put down would be most embarrassing to the Government, particularly for its own deputies who would have to vote it down.
Apparently, in the UK this device was used recently and because their system is not as "whipped" as ours the MPs succeeded in voting themselves an increase of £10,000 in salary. Nice going.
In the Budget Charlie McCreevy proved he was his own man, but in here we all wonder whether or not he will be so on salaries.
Speaking of pay, one of the main topics of conversation this week related to lawyers and their fees. The stand-off between the Minister for Finance and the Attorney General regarding the lawyers' fees in the Flood tribunal was finally settled, though all of us are aghast at the level of approximately £1,500 per day charged.
Politicians in here have long criticised the level of lawyers' fees and yet, unfortunately, nothing is ever done.
Another major source of comment this week relates to the Army deafness cases, and the Minister for Defence, Michael Smith, pulled no punches at the Dail Committee dealing with this area where he all but claimed that a large number of these claims were a scam.
The Government must have been delighted with the comments from Fine Gael's Jim Mitchell regarding this issue some weeks ago when he condemned these claims, and now the Government has waded in support. From the figures to date it would appear that we are looking at a potential melt-down situation if all the claims are successful.
Lawyers are coming in for sustained abuse from all parties because it is perceived they are, by their actions, encouraging claims. Both Ruairi Quinn and the Taoiseach pointed to dramatic advertisements appearing in newspapers from legal firms on the deafness issue.
Drapier asks: "What's the point in giving out about it". All governments have done so but none has bitten the bullet. Maybe it's time for this Government to do so.
A number of issues bubbling away which could cause the Government grave difficulty are the beef and blockades situations and the refugee problem.
To date, the Government appears to have handled the former reasonably well. Brian Cowen was originally accused of overreacting but similar advice from Europe confirmed his position.
The blockade was difficult, as all such problems are, but the Government was able to motivate the British to take action.
The refugee problem seems to have dogged the Government and particularly John O'Donoghue. Hardly a week goes by without the Opposition raising the issue.
It reached a climax this week with a protest outside the Dail. The Government was made to look hard-hearted, particularly in regard to a Russian woman and her daughter who are being forced, as a result of a Supreme Court decision, to get out of the State.
The Government has a difficult job to balance two conflicting arguments: on the one hand, the uneasiness of the populace with the situation and the prevention of racism.
The Government and the Opposition parties intend to promote an anti-racism motion in the Dail which might discommode the outspoken Ivor Callely. But, on the other hand, the Government is required to take action to deal with ever-increasing refugee numbers. Expect more sparks on this issue in the coming months.
The country was stunned by the Seagate news and none more so than those in Clonmel and in the House itself. The general feeling was that Mary Har- ney did well in extremely difficult circumstances. Her flight into the lions' den once the news had broken took nerve but was the correct strategy. Doing it this way allowed her to side with the workers.
The Dail on Thursday descended into a shouting match with the local Clonmel Labour deputy Michael Ferris predictably being thrown out. Fine Gael and Democratic Left were fairly muted but Ruairi Quinn and his two Rottweilers, Tommy Broughan and Emmet Stagg, raised the tempo. Under Spring, in the last few months, Labour outmanoeuvred John Bruton in the Chamber, but Ruairi and Co were over the top on this one. Drapier's advice to Ruairi is to be more careful in resorting to the shouting game.
Harney was given an opening in the debate, which she took with relish, to remind Ruairi and the previous government that it was they who sanctioned this project in 1995. She dropped in the gem that the factory was officially opened just a few short months ago on the day before the election. That softened Labour's cough.