It’s been another bustling day within the chambers of Dáil Éireann. The government seems to be hastily forging ahead with legislations, building up towards the St Patrick’s week break, which is expected to be quickly succeeded by the Easter recess. Amidst this, the Opposition seems to be inching towards the exits as the charm of political theatrics continues to unfold in full gear.
Observing from an outsider’s perspective, Leinster House appears to have already detached itself from the pressing obligations of the political proceedings. The Taoiseach and Tánaiste, when present, are perceived as just performing their duties in a desultory manner. Overseas trips are in the final stages of planning, and backbenchers from the government are increasingly absent.
Opposition representatives are sticking to just reading out speeches supplied to them and then taking their leave. A sense of lethargy seems to have permeated the environment, making the corridors quiet. If not for the group of tourists weaving their way from Seanad to Dáil and from canteen to pub, the parliament building would appear to be in a state of temporary inactivity.
When the tour groups arrive, bursting with anticipation and excitement to explore the corridors of this seat of power, they are often left disappointed. They get to watch a succession of lesser-known deputies, barely visible, reading out scripts in a chamber that’s almost empty. The scene in Seanad is not too different.
The personnel conducting tours and TDs who have brought their constituents say that apart from Leo and Micheál, the public wants to see Mattie McGrath and one or both of the Healy-Raes. If someone happened to be visiting on Wednesday, they would have witnessed the marvel that is Patrick O’Donovan, Minister of State with responsibility for Office of Public Works and the Gaeltacht. They could have seen him representing the Government during the Seanad’s statements on Seachtain na Gaeilge/Irish Language Week, and then repeating the same in the Dáil chamber for an extended two-hour spell, with the bonus of Catherine Martin’s presence.
Meeting Catherine Martin, the Media (and Gaeltacht) Minister, is a particular attraction for guests visiting Leinster House, especially given her current prominence in the news. However, compared to other political figures, Catherine is not at the top of the list of personalities visitors hope to encounter. According to tour guides and TDs, aside from Leo and Micheál, the politicians most sought after for face-to-face encounters are Mattie McGrath and either or both of the Healy-Raes.
Catherine walked into the House after lunch to commence the debate, an entrance that caused a flutter of anxiety among the awake journalists, due to the recent release of a documented backstory to her choice to replace former RTÉ chair Siún Ní Raghallaigh. Engulfed in defensive explanations, Catherine was not making any impromptu statements about her ongoing tribulations, instead, she adhered to the script, discussing the Irish language in native tongue.
No one was anxious. However, when the next instalment of this peculiar tale is launched, which inevitably will happen, no one would be taken aback if Catherine claims her full disclosure had been delivered during her Irish speech, and people not tuning in is not her fault. Once the St Patrick’s week duty tour in Texas calls, Catherine will have a breather. Nashville is pencilled into her programme, her troubled split from the chair and the timely arrival of a trendily groomed ex-accountant from KPMG could easily fill the lyrics of a country song.
Following two hours of the Dáil debating the Irish language, they segued into discussions about uncommon diseases. The House moved in advance to the concluding stages of the Unified Patent Court Bill. Immediately afterwards, the European Arrest Warrant Bill was settled within five minutes. Simon Harris was held up on the Research and Innovations Bill for a couple of hours, but with Richard Boyd Barrett attentively participating, a quick wrap-up was not anticipated.
Toward the end, the referendums were scarcely mentioned outside of Dáil and Seanad houses, indicating little momentum.
Where were the rest on Wednesday? Spreading propaganda in preparation for Friday’s referendum ballot? A government backbencher responded to this inquiry with a sarcastic remark, “Certainly!”. However, before they could be part of the campaign, an actual campaign would have to exist.
A few days prior to the referendum, the discussions outside the parliamentary houses were scarce and lacked any forward drive. The Upper House, however, was a battleground for passionate appeals by female senators advocating for a double affirmative vote. This was partially fueled by the contentious viewpoints of independent senator Sharon Keogan, a staunch opponent of the referendum.
Keogan described the referendums as a perilous and insidious assault on women’s identities. She expressed grief that Irish mothers are being urged to willingly relinquish the esteemed position the Irish Constitution offers them. If the government could devise pro-abortion policies, why couldn’t it take a leaf from Hungary’s book where a family with four or more children enjoy lifelong exemption from income tax?
These remarks incurred the wrath of Fianna Fáil senator Erin McGreehan. She angrily retorted, “Goodness me. To quote Miley Byrne, ‘Well, holy God…’. One of the many shocking elements was your claim to be representing Ireland’s mothers. Let me assure you, you do not represent me, an Irish mother myself.”
She continued with a heated objection, “You’re not speaking on my behalf. Do not box us all together. Desist. The statements you make are jaw-droppingly outrageous and shocking. We all have the capacity to question, but you habitually take a small query, exaggerate it, and promptly descend down the rabbit hole chasing social media popularity and video uploads. It is incredibly disheartening.”
Meanwhile, whispers of “heightened apprehension” are circling the government and major political parties, all campaigning for a double positive vote. Although, calling it ‘apprehension’ might be an overstatement as the inhabitants of Leinster House are only genuinely intrigued by votes when seats are at stake. After all, one must express interest to truly feel apprehensive.
A member of Sinn Féin expressed his concerns about increasing their voting rate as he takes a week-long break. His political adversaries in the Government could not contest his apprehensions.
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