Battle for best TV spot leaves minister in cheap seats
CHILDREN’S Minister Katherine Zappone learned a sharp lesson in how hard it is to move her independent colleague Finian McGrath from the limelight during the abortion debate on Friday.
Like any wise old practitioner, Mr McGrath, junior minister for disabilities, was in the Dáil well before the debate started so that he could bag the prime TV spot right beside Health Minister Simon Harris.
The Dáil convention is that ministers sit in the front row and junior ministers – such as Mr McGrath – normally sit in the second row.
As the debate began, Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty entered and sat down beside Mr McGrath, two seats away from Mr Harris. But she agreed to move further down when Ms Zappone arrived.
Witnesses told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘The trouble only started when Katherine Zappone indicated to Finian to move to allow her to sit beside Simon.’
One witness said: ‘It was comical. Your one says, very politely to Finian, “Can you move?” According to etiquette he should have but there wasn’t a chance. Finian says, “Oh I can’t, it’s a health matter we are dealing with,” and yer one ends up in the cheap seats. She didn’t look very happy.’
Another witness said: ‘Finian was like the Spartans in Thermopylae: it was a case of they shall not pass.
‘Poor Simon wisely stayed out of it. Katherine learnt the hard way, you don’t keep Finian off the Six One News.’
Another source said: ‘We all had a great laugh about it in the Dáil bar afterwards.’
Mr McGrath was not available for comment yesterday.