Drapier: Séamus Brennan is still centre-stage, in the House and the media, in the saga of the reshuffle. His contempt for the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs reflects accurately the real philosophy of this Government. People are clearly far less important than the economy.
Drapier, along with his colleagues in Fianna Fáil, simply does not know why Brennan was dropped from the Cabinet. He was an active Minister, with regards to roads and Luas, and was delivering, even if behind schedule and over budget. The same cannot be said about Martin Cullen or Noel Dempsey.
Brennan does have an obsession with publicity, and hardly a Sunday afternoon went by without a press release being issued from his office. The Monday media were grateful for this feed; perhaps this is a big sin? Like Micheál Martin before him in Education, was he shining too brightly for Bertie?
The final episode of the reshuffle was the exposure by Pat Rabbitte of the Taoiseach's technical incompetence in his sacking of Dr Jim McDaid and the botched appointment of Conor Lenihan. Drapier wonders what preparation, if any, went into this reshuffle which was announced three months in advance. Is Ahern beginning to lose his fabled touch or is he so isolated now that he is playing his cards tightly to his chest and has few people around who he can trust.
Enda Kenny is emerging as a competent leader of Fine Gael. He has concentrated on scoring political points against the Government and not entertaining the Chamber and the press gallery. He knows that Fine Gael are on the way back, but he is not taking it for granted.
Dr Liam Twomey's arrival into the bosom of Fine Gael is a boost for Enda and for local FG deputy Paul Keogh. Wexford will revert to the traditional pattern of two FF, two FG and one Labour deputy.
Drapier now expects Dr Jerry Cowley to follow this example and join Fianna Fáil in Mayo in the next 12 months. The disgraced Beverley Flynn cannot, even by the elastic standards of Fianna Fáil, be readmitted. Cowley has been a life-long party supporter and would be comfortable, as well as safe, when he joins the party. He will have to do this if he wishes to remain in Leinster House, which he clearly enjoys.
Enda Kenny may have another triumph if the rumours are correct. Mairead McGuinness MEP, the success story for Fine Gael in Leinster, wants to stand in the Meath by-election next spring for the John Bruton vacancy. She would certainly be elected, and also be closer to home and her young family.
Michael McDowell is a most hyperactive Minister for Justice. On Thursday, Opposition deputies rightly queried why another piece of emergency legislation had to be rushed through the Dáil.
This is the ninth such emergency measure in the last two years, and it reflects badly on the Government. It also prevents the Oireachtas from doing its constitutional job of carefully scrutinising legislation. Once again McDowell was correcting a legislative mistake of his own making.
Hardly a week went past during the summer recess without the Justice Minister making a dramatic pronouncement or legislative proposal. Drapier has observed, with amusement, how the backbench Fianna Fáil deputies take delight in his discomfort. He is hated by many of their constituents and has become a lightning conductor for political discontent. He has completed two years in office and has not much more than two years left. Drapier believes that his record of achievement is destined to be puny in contrast to his bombastic output.
The Oireachtas was at its best during the week when the Joint Committee on Transport had a frank and open dialogue with Willie Walsh, chief executive officer of Aer Lingus, and Brian Dunne, its chief financial officer.
The deputies and senators asked pertinent questions and through supplementaries obtained clear answers. Drapier was amused at Senator Shane Ross's old-fashioned but unsuccessful attempts to annoy deputies Joe Higgins and Róisín Shortall. Deputy Seán Ryan rightly accused him of trying to generate copy for his Sunday newspaper column.
The committee system works very well and this exchange was a particularly good example.
Willie Walsh is impressive and one can see why the company has been turned around.
However, Deputy Martin Brady will get no credit and no votes for his courageous questioning because it will not be reported.
Drapier regrets that as election day draws nearer fewer deputies will be around for these committees. This is a shame because holding government and public bodies to open and transparent account is one of the fundamental jobs of our Oireachtas.
Drapier has been struck by the utter disinterest of his colleagues, both in the Chamber and the members' bar, in the outcome of the current Northern Ireland talks.
For a topic that once dominated the agenda and provoked heated debates, it now attracts indifference. Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness know what they have to do. The days of fudge are over. Explicit written commitments, given clearly and in advance, are the minimum necessary to save the Assembly and the Belfast Agreement.
The Shinners, North and South, have now got a taste for parliamentary politics and like the feel of the salaries and expenses. They do not want to let it go, now that 9/11 has slammed the door on Celtic terrorism.