DRAPIER: Drapier is dizzy, bothered and bewildered by all the political think-ins, annual conferences, regional conferences, birthday celebrations and all of the other festivities which the political parties are using to praise themselves and bewail the shortcomings of others.
To start with, the Fine Gael regional gathering. Firstly, it was called a national conference so that leader Enda Kenny could avail of a precious half hour on a Saturday night to woo the nation.
Drapier wishes to be frank and fair. Enda Kenny has improved beyond all expectations in his demeanour, in his delivery. He takes wise advice well and in the rural idiom scrubs up well also. There is no trace left of the tentative Enda who took over Fine Gael at its lowest ebb, and it is a confident guy who now heads up the party.
Therein lies the danger for Fine Gael. Have they peaked too soon? And does Bertie Ahern's determination to hold on to mid-2007 mean that the FG popularity will wane?
It will take more than a vision of Denis Naughton talking about chicken fillets and the leader talking in modern terms about the teaching of the Irish language to bring a sustained movement to dislodge Bertie Ahern, but they are on their way and have even become confident enough to ignore the growing fissure between themselves and Labour over capital gains tax. As time goes on a fissure such as this may become a chasm.
Why, oh why, on public television did Fine Gael display so many empty seats in Millstreet, and red empty seats into the bargain, where they were immediately apparent to the viewers?
It may seem a small episode, but viewers are used to seeing packed rows of avidly-listening delegates, who had to push and shove to get into a seat for their leader's speech, not elegant vacant chairs dotted all over the hall. You can be assured that mistake won't be repeated.
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It seems that Bertie Ahern is intent upon wiping away any major issues over which he and his party could come a cropper when general election time comes, hence his emphatic assertion that Fianna Fáil would not share power with Sinn Féin.
Let's hear the same resounding disavowal from the other parties - so far it is not forthcoming.
In this context of political coupling, many of the Soldiers of Destiny squirm when they hear and see the overtures by Mary Harney and the Progressive Democrats to Fine Gael and, indeed, to any party which will take them on as potential partners. "There they are in Government reaping the benefits," one disgruntled member was heard to say during the week, and yet the lady continues to throw herself at reluctant and hesitant political suitors. Pat Rabbitte has strongly repulsed her this week.
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The PDs' 20th birthday party was, it appears, a fine success, with much back-slapping, self-congratulation and undoubted belief in their own talents. In that regard, Stephen Collins's book points out the early involvement of Charlie McCreevy. Many people were aware of the fact, but to see it stated was both interesting and jolting.
It appears that McCreevy wrote the early economic agenda for the PDs but got fed up with the shilly shallying of Des O'Malley and took himself off. Hence is history made.
McCreevy went on to become a long-serving finance minister for Fianna Fáil, and one of the main architects of the joint Fianna Fáil/PD governments. Drapier is of the opinion that the McCreevy memories of his dear mother and her strong republican Fianna Fáil ideals did not allow him to cross over, so to speak, and he stayed with his roots.
It is good to see him making waves in Europe and seemingly shaking off the stilted inertia which Europe bestows upon people. He is going around ruffling feathers and causing disturbances, just the same as he did when he was around Leinster House.
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A reversion to Liz O'Donnell's anti-clerical bombshell last week.
Many here in Leinster House are of the opinion that is was an embryonic leadership bid by the bould Liz. For whatever reason, there is increasing speculation that Mary Harney may not remain long as leader (Drapier is not of that belief). So the beauteous Liz is marking out a path for herself.
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Brian Cowen is shaping up well with the publication of his spending Estimates on Thursday and his budget in early December.
It always seemed to Drapier an odd arrangement that the main course of the dinner, ie, the spending Estimates, are announced on one week and yet everyone waits for what might be called the frilly dessert to follow, ie, the budget.
Childcare, pensions, nursing-home payments, health, education, supply of extra gardaí, the list is endless and sometimes it seems it is nearly worse to have too much finance than too little. The wide expectation is that Brian Cowen will be both fair and judicious but extremely political, so that Fianna Fáil can continue its task of closing off the loopholes of public disquiet.
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The biggest problem facing the Taoiseach and Government is the precarious partnership talks.
Ever since Charlie Haughey forged the first social partnership back in 1987, when Ireland faced near bankruptcy, the partnership ideal has been the motif of all Irish governments and the background against which economic and social activity was carried out.
Right across Europe and beyond, it is recognised as one of the strengths of the Irish economy. It should not be let slip.
However, the Irish Ferries incident is huge, and Drapier is of the belief that the trade union movement will insist on some legal guarantees that the trend of replacing workers wholesale with lower-paid workers should not take hold. Here some type of legislation is needed, but legislation of what type?