Recount of the Weekly Highlight
Early on Tuesday, Julie Lyons and her squad from the Oireachtas hospitality section commenced their duties quite soon, involving extensive baking and other preparations. They then displayed their hard work elegantly on a lengthy buffet table in an intimate reception hall.
The spread was quite spectacular with a colourful assortment of cupcakes decorating the table and the showstopper being a railway engine-themed chocolate cake sporting a charming face.
This secluded arrangement was to host the family of the Taoiseach who was about to be voted into the Dáil that very day. What made this set-up truly heartwarming was the nod to the two offspring of Simon Harris: five years old Saoirse and three years old Cilian.
This is a milestone moment for the political helm of the state, being the first time a leader has toddlers. Simon Harris, being 37, also denotes the youngest Taoiseach ever.
The selection phase of the Taoiseach might feel formulaic, but unquestionably, it is a significant date in the political schedule. All the events – voting in the Dáil, the symbolic travel to Áras an Uachtaráin, the selection of the Cabinet, and the official photo op with the President, serve as reminders of the deep-rooted democratic traditions and the onerous responsibility of the Taoiseach’s position.
Fallout
The sweet period of Harris’s tenure was short-lived. In fact, the leader of Sinn Féin, Mary Lou McDonald marked his Dáil election day with aggression. Few Government TDs expressed their disappointment about her lack of appreciation towards Harris, as evidenced by her not felicitating him, or segregating the individual from the political role.
That simply isn’t the type of person the Sinn Féin leader is. Come Wednesday, the Opposition’s head was all set to challenge Harris for the first time during Leaders’ Questions.
Despite no trace of him, McDonald took to hammering assertively on the thesaurus of ‘enragement’ and ‘wrath’ to emphasise the new Taoiseach’s blunder. The arduous task fell to the unfortunate Chief Whip Hildegarde Naughton to clarify to McDonald about Harris’s absence. He was engaged in telephone chats with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. McDonald, in flabbergasted disbelief, exclaimed, “Three phone calls!” and raised an eyebrow. The dystopian message was loud and clear. The newly appointed Taoiseach, who had vowed to spring into action, had yet to embark on his journey. As McDonald put it, he was simply “not present”.
The discord didn’t halt there. To add fuel to the fire, Harris managed to make time to post a TikTok video to his followers, sharing the thrilling happenings of his inaugural day at work. Unwilling to be overshadowed, McDonald launched a riposte with her own TikTok video, chiding Harris once again for his nonattendance. Her video also featured the deserted area in the chamber, highlighted by a red circle. The outcome? Harris received 140,000 views, while McDonald cruised to an enticing 290,000 views.
But how does all this hubbub affect an ordinary man?
On Wednesday, an eerie scene unfolded with the revealing of an ambiguous ministry, marking the day when the new State ministers were proclaimed. This announcement took place at noon, with three potential spots at the junior ministerial tier, two arisen due to the elevation of Peter Burke and Patrick O’Donovan, and the third from the departure of Josepha Madigan.
Alan Dillon, Colm Burke and Eimear Higgins were the frontrunners for the promotion expected.
However, mere hours before the noon meeting, seasoned Mayo TD Michael Ring (and ex-minister) revealed in an interview on Mid West Radio that Harris had proposed not one but two ministries to him. Ring, however, rejected both offers due to their lack of financial influence.
Blimey. Where’d that originate? Upon declining their proposal, Ring recommended Alan Dillon, his Fine Gael cohort, as a potential junior minister option. However, he remained tight-lipped about what was proposed to him. When pushed for a comment, Harris was evasive, only acknowledging Michael Ring as a valuable team member.
There’s quite a bit of interpretation involved here, with underlying mischief obvious. When it comes to Alan Dillon, no one sponsored his decade-long play for the Mayo senior football team. His position was earned out of sheer merit. Among the flock of backbench TDs joining since 2020, he stands out, especially as a Public Accounts Committee member. While he may appreciate his cohort’s endorsement, he certainly didn’t rely on it.
Speaking of junior ministries, another snag emerges. The Gaeltacht junior ministry was handed back to Fianna Fáil by Fine Gael because Simon Harris couldn’t identify a suitable State Minister with enough Irish capabilities or willingness for the role. Patrick O’Donovan held the position prior, and while his Irish was satisfactory, he didn’t show a burning passion for defending the Irish language or Gaeltacht communities.
Thomas Byrne of Fianna Fáil was yearning for this position in early 2023 but was denied. This week, he was pleasantly surprised to receive it. At the very least, we can identify a definite distinction between the two major Coalition parties – one values the Irish language, while the other dismisses it.
Highlighting the victors: Peter Burke, Patrick O’Donovan, Alan Dillon, Eimear Higgins, Colm Burke
And noting the losers: Hildegarde Naughton, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, who both likely anticipated a higher rank.
Do have a read:
Miriam Lord’s weekly column provides a swift breakdown of all week’s happenings.
Jennifer Bray analyses the possible trajectory of the Harris administration over the forthcoming six months.
I offer a sneak preview of the much-awaited Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis, kicking off tonight at Dublin’s Royal Convention Centre.
Listen here.
On Wednesday’s Inside Politics Podcast, matters took a rather otherworldly turn. Hugh Linehan noted that the catchphrase used at the Fine Gael ard fheis was ‘A new energy’. He wittily compared this to the name of what he perceived to be one of the most disappointing Star Wars movies.