SMOKES & DAGGERS

A mischievous mix of political asides with JOHN DRENNAN

SENATOR Eugene Murphy, pictured, came to the rescue of Seán Ó Fearghaíl after the Ceann Comhairle failed to get hold of a tie in the Ukrainian colours for Wednesday’s date with history. The ingenious senator borrowed ties from Roscommon GAA county board, whose teams wear blue and yellow. They were not a perfect match but, in times of crisis, better not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

IT WAS another difficult week for Leo Varadkar as delinquent councillors did not select his constituency colleague, Councillor Ted Leddy, as Fine Gael nominee for the citizens’ assembly on a Dublin Lord Mayor. Leo was keen for the colourful Mr Leddy to get the nod, but Lorraine Hall, a second cousin of Heather Humphreys, skated home.

GREEN PARTY TD Patrick Costello was certainly being optimistic when he asked Justice Minister Helen McEntee if she planned to ‘transition justice system terminology to a more modern English equivalent which would replace Latin terminology’. Ms McEntee said the plan was ‘the introduction of a new standard form of claim notice to replace other originating documents and harmonising across jurisdictions the forms of originating documents, terminology and information requirements associated with the way in which proceedings are commenced’. Maybe we’ll just stick with the Latin.

RULES are rules, and even rag-and-bone men might not survive. TD Colm Burke has asked the Environment Minister to prohibit the sale of scrap metal for cash without valid identification ‘to curb scrap metal theft’. Steptoe and Son RIP.

SEÁN HAUGHEY had a novel solution to the diplomatic stand-off with the Russian embassy. He suggested that ambassador Yury Filatov, pictured, needed a course in communications from someone like Ivan Yates, which prompts Smokes to wonder: if Ivan Yates is the answer, what the f*** was the question?