SMOKES & DAGGERS

A mischievous mix of political asides with JOHN DRENNAN

AFTER the FF party meeting Taoiseach Micheál Martin was having a cordial moment chatting to some journalists. Just then Marc McSharry appeared out of nowhere.

The Sligo man chortled: ‘Well lads anything in the paper tomorrow?’ Smiles all round except perhaps at the top.

ON Thursday in the Dáil Chamber, the youngest TD in the Dáil James O’Connor joked that he had competition for ‘Baby of the House’. Social Democrats TD for Wicklow Jennifer Whitmore told the Chamber her three children were in the gallery watching proceedings, as she had no babysitter. Roscommon-Galway TD Denis Naughton quipped that ‘they’ll probably talk more sense than most’.

SMOKES noticed an interested troika sitting together this week in Aodhán O’Riordán, Duncan Smith and Ged Nash. We spotted the trio in the Dáil restaurant – the place conspiracies begin.

One veteran noted: ‘Two sitting together is fine, three though is definitely a conspiracy. That’s nearly half the parliamentary party.

‘Like dogs and sheep, once a party despatches a leader, they get a taste for it,’ they added.

FIANNA FÁIL TD Niamh Smyth asked the Junior Environment Minister why no wildlife park ranger has been assigned to County Cavan.

Green Malcolm Noonan nervously responded that: ‘For reasons of operational security, my department does not provide details of staffing in the manner requested.’

The national security issue that sparked Ms Smyth’s query was the death of a swan and five cygnets.

AONTÚ leader Peadar Toibin says Northern Ireland MLA’s should get minimum wage until they return to work. ‘Postmen, teachers and nurses would be told to sling their hook if they refused to work for so long,’ he said. It’s the kind of thinking unionists fear when they speak of the Republic having a greater say in NI.