THIS IS no time for silly Dáil games. The situation is far too serious for that. Fine Gael's withdrawal of a "pairing system" that would facilitate ministerial travel on official business because the Government refused to hold an emergency debate on the economy, was as unjustified as Fianna Fáil's representation of the tactic as a serious assault on public business.
Both were over the top responses that will do nothing to reassure the electorate at a time of great economic turbulence.
The most immediate - and unfortunate - conclusion that can be drawn from all of this is that our politicians are bereft of creative ideas. It must have been absolutely clear to Enda Kenny that the Government would not agree to a detailed economic debate within three weeks of an October Budget. But that was his demand. And when it was rejected, he withdrew the pairing system. Fianna Fáil then responded like the injured party and, in spite of a comfortable Dáil majority, behaved as if Government business was being seriously damaged.
That is no way to conduct business. People are not stupid. They can see through such public relations inventions. And it reflects badly on the Oireachtas. The Dáil has been in recess for nearly three months. In that time, Exchequer finances have gone into free fall; the housing industry has all but collapsed; banks and financial institutions have come under extraordinary pressure and unemployment has soared. The Government - like its counterparts across the developed world - has been living the nightmare, hoping that Federal action in the United States will stop the rot.
But while Wall Street may be accused of infecting and damaging the financial system, the Government here must shoulder its own burden. Overly-dependent on stamp duties, Taoiseach Brian Cowen permitted the growth of a property bubble while minister for finance. And, since the downturn, Government responses have been slow and uncertain. Spending cuts of €440 million announced in July were shown to be pathetically inadequate. A projected €3 billion deficit almost doubled within a matter of months. The Budget date was brought forward. The only obvious success involved agreement on a draft social partnership deal.
Mr Cowen conceded yesterday that we are operating in changed economic circumstances. He could sing that and nobody would be any wiser. But whether the Government is out of its depth will become obvious in the Budget. Mr Kenny accused it of "gross political cowardice" for not immediately unveiling its recovery plans and then used the latest Comptroller & Auditor General's report to blame it for public waste. It was shallow stuff. Questions about rising unemployment levels had more bite.
Confidence in our political parties has fallen to a low ebb in the aftermath of the Lisbon referendum defeat. And yet politicians appear to have learned nothing. At a time when voters are seeking reassurance, vision and leadership, all that was on offer during the opening session of the Dáil was some facile point-scoring. Elected representative will have to do better.