LAST week there was great talk of the family. The main focus was on what was termed the "Conor/Ruairi factor" over the QMP issue. Drapier will not repeat the many angles on this but he did feel that one sentence in the Conor Quinn letter to Fergus Finlay surprisingly did not attract much attention, i.e., the very last sentence.
The various quotations like "burying" the announcement and being a "bit liberal with the truth" have been well dissected.
However, the sentiments as expressed in the last sentence, at least in Drapier's opinion, show what was Labour's "horns of a dilemma". It was confronted with wanting to give QMP the contract but was inhibited because of the Conor/Ruairi factor. Fergus Finlay was delegated to sort it out.
Hence, his contact with Conor Quinn, who responded in the letter in which he ended stating in effect that the contents of the letter were as far as he, Conor, could put the matter and that it was up to Fergus (and his cohorts) to come up with the "solution" to the problem. In other words, how they can best disguise or gloss over the appointment.
Speaking of the family (it seems to be the "in thing" to do these days), Proinsias De Rossa referred to the Pat Rabbitte/Dick Spring difference as a "family row". If we ever needed confirmation that the Government parties are "glued together" now we have it from the horse's mouth Fine Gael, Labour and Democratic Left are one big happy family cosily in bed together. And while the bed covers may slip from time to time, they are very quickly pulled back in place (to keep them all cosy) as it transpired in the last few hours before the Budget.
"Bold boy" Pat Rabbitte was quickly brought back into line. It remains to be seen whether or not his faux pas has caused him and his Department dearly. Readers may be aware that, totally without precedent, Minister of State Pat Rabbitte held a press conference for his Department of Science and Technology in the run up to the Budget, advocating a Budget allocation of Pounds 10 million for his Department. But when the Budget speech was read, all he and his Department got was Pounds 4 million.
As Drapier hinted last week, Pat may have already rued the day he crossed Dick and Drapier is not altogether sure if that's the end of it. A Labour source was widely quoted as stating that Pat Rabbitte had an inflated ego. Some of us in here give a wiry smile at that comment coming from Labour.
IN any event, what was a family row seems to have been resolved for the time being and the Budget went through in effect, on the nod. All in all it was agreed that the Budget was a non event. One only had to look up into the public gallery during the debate to see how little interest the public had. This was probably because most of the Budget items, if not all, were well signalled in the media.
In yesteryear, there would be an almighty scramble for public gallery seats and tickets would be at a premium, but this has not been the case for the last few years. Every year there is great talk about having to change all of this (Charlie McCreevy was at it this year) but Drapier knows that no Minister for Finance would forego the media attention and photo opportunity that is involved in the Budget.
Drapier was interested to read recently where De Rossa's old pals the Workers' Party, with some validity, berated the Democratic Left for doing a U turn on its economic policy. In former years, De Rossa and some of his cohorts were vehement in their opposition to Maastricht and all its guidelines yet now they have "turned turtle" and have become great defenders of budgetary discipline. It never ceases to amaze Drapier how People like this can be seen to be "playing both sides of the argument".
Another example is the issue which Drapier referred to last week, also concerning Proinsias De Rossa, namely the Minister's "cabal", as Fianna Fail's Joe Walsh called it. Charlie McCreevy, in his Budget speech, also derided De Rossa for arranging around him, at the taxpayers' expense, a group of Democratic Left supporters to assist him as a party leader in government.
De Rossa very candidly admitted at Question Time on Tuesday that when he was in opposition he did not realise the difficulties of being in government (now he tells us). He was justifying the creation of these jobs for the boys and girls of Democratic Left by stating he had two roles in the Cabinet, one as Minister for Social Welfare and another as Democratic Left leader.
Drapier is breathless at this affront. Did the public, when voting in the last general election for one minute think that Democratic Left would be wielding such power (and patronage) in a government? Come to think of it, did they think at the last general election that there would be a new Office of the Tanaiste created at taxpayers' expense so as to assuage Dick Spring's desires? Drapier often wonders why the public puts up with this.
POLITICIANS of all parties were shocked at the comments of P.J. Stone of the Garda Representative Association, who attacked the Minister and the Government for failing to tackle crime. His comments were unprecedented and drew a similarly unprecedented and quick apology to the Minister from the Garda Commissioner. Last week, Drapier wondered would the Minister get some relief in the Budget and sure enough, in the small print, there was a sum of Pounds 3.7 million for prison accommodation. Drapier does not like to see any of his colleagues under the sort of pressure as was endured by Nora Owen. The Opposition attacks have been unrelenting and Drapier (and quite a few of his colleagues)just wonder is it not time for John Bruton to make a reshuffle to alleviate some of her pain.
One way or the other, P.J. Stone's intervention will most certainly bring forward the Minister's promised legislation which, she states, will sort out the continuing row between the two Garda representative associations. The continuing strife in Garda relations has been a big factor in low Garda morale, as has the Minister's poor perception as far as gardai are concerned.
All sides in the House acknowledge that the crime issue is being perceived by the public as one which needs to be addressed and fast. It is at times like this that knee jerk reactions can bring forward drastic measures. Both Labour and Democratic Left have kept quiet on such measures and it will be interesting to see whether or not Nora Owen and Fine Gael endeavour to reclaim their name as "the party of law and order" in the teeth of undoubted opposition from the civil libertarians in Labour and Democratic Left.
The decommissioning body report was greeted by all in here as an extremely good stab at solving the problem, but there was thinly disguised anger at the British government's reaction. The erstwhile bipartisan approach between the governments seems to have been scuttled by Major's insistence on relying on unionist support. Drapier thinks Major is playing a very dangerous game. Drapier hopes it's not a case of history repeating itself.