SMOKES & DAGGERS

A mischievous mix of political asides with JOHN DRENNAN

■ DUBLIN Rathdown TD Neale Richmond asked Paschal Donohoe in Dáil Questions to the Minister for Finance about ‘the options available for those that purchased property from Nama which is no longer fit for purpose [and] if there are avenues for engagement for these property owners.’

The ever-polite Paschal, in a terse response, suggested Neale should email Nama.

Deputy Richmond is a public representative, as the kids might opine, apparently dealing with First World problems.

■ RURAL Ireland is often much-maligned in our national parliament. Whenever bould Danny Healy-Rae, right, dares to speak, titters can often be heard from the denizens of more urban constituencies, and yes, the press gallery. So it was with delight, Smokes noted colourful new rural Deputy Richard O’Donoghue, from Co. Limerick, who proudly declared in the Dáil chamber this week: ‘I am a culchie and I am proud of it. That means I always want to live in the country.’ But hark, a voice like thunder spake! The mid-west’s awake, it appears.

■ SMOKES notes that Dublin’s status as a collection of villages is epitomised by the Portobello Dublin Bay South byelection triangle. Three possible candidates, Ivana Bacik (Labour), Claire Byrne (not that one) and Fintan Warfield {Sinn Féin} all live within 300 yards of each other. ‘The next local resident’s association meeting will be interesting,’ our source smirked.

■ THE Kate O’Connell story on Claire Byrne (yes, that one) about how one of the FG members of Dublin Bay South had been waiting for her with a sod of turf in a handbag, prior to a party event, sparked quite the furore in the constituency, it seems. A Fine Gael ‘deep throat’ informed us that one feared dowager, attending the anointing of the FG by-election candidate James Geoghegan, was heard to declare: ‘Turf! Dear God no. No one in our area would have a thing like turf and certainly not in a handbag.’