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Mary Lou must love Tuesdays.
The leaders’ questions are like shooting a fish in a barrel. When the Sinn Féin president took over as the main opposition leader, did you ever expect your job to be that easy?
All she has to do is step into the chamber and serve the last charade of the day to the Taoiseach, who, with a wrinkled nose, invariably awaits her.
You don’t even have to roll up your sleeves.
It’s the staple shot of gormlessness, soured by too many cooks and fully cooked in all its steaming glory by a government that ends up gagging and recoiling at the sight of it.
Mary Lou McDonald just has to walk in, hold him sniffing with outstretched arm, and, in a voice louder than the loudest gong at dinner, roar “Get out!” And throw the whole mess on the ground
What stale offer was on the menu last week? It was the hiring of nearly a dozen new special advisers to meet the extraordinary needs of young ministers. Mary Lou had no difficulty rubbing Micheál Martin’s face.
And the week before? That would have been the terrible launch of the government’s prepared Covid roadmap and associated setbacks. Too much for many people to bear.
It must be very exciting for her, wondering each week what prepackaged Coalition mess is going to fall into her lap in time for the Leaders’ Questions. Very attentive to Micheál, Leo and Eamon for being so helpful.
On Tuesday, he opened the government delivery box to find a cheeky cheek from D’Arcy accompanied by an embarrassment from senior politicians. Perfect for serving a demanding Taoiseach. He didn’t like it but he had to swallow it.
Michael D’Arcy was Minister of State in the last government, based in the Department of Finance, with special responsibility for financial services and insurance. He lost his seat in the February general election, but was taken to safety on the banks of the Seanad (agriculture panel), where he continued to contribute on issues related to his previous government portfolio.
Net
Any old port in the middle of a storm, and all that, but there are more rewarding options for ambitious former junior ministers with the proper network and mobile phone numbers.
Michael is known for his whispering voice, the legacy of an accidental hit to the throat during a hurling match.
And it’s true: it’s the silent ones you have to watch out for. The Wexford farmer-turned-politician surprised his colleagues at Leinster House on Monday by announcing that he was resigning from the Upper House to head a lobby for investment managers.
Leo said D’Arcy will always be welcome if he decides to run for the match again.
Everything perfectly on the table. He wouldn’t be the first prisoner to dream and then successfully escape the Seanad. It won’t be a huge imposition to go from Senator D’Arcy to Mr. D’Arcy.
Despite this unexpected change of direction, Michael says he will “remain a proud Fine Gael supporter and our party leader” (sensibly quelling understandable rumors that he might join People Before Profit). Thank God he cleared it up: they were sick with worry on Mount Street.
But what does all this mean?
It means he was inside the Seanad last week giving his fellow politicians socks on legislation long considered desirable by the investment industry and outside the Seanad this week promising not to give ex-political buddies socks on legislation desired by the sector. investment. .
This is because investors have hired you as the CEO of their lobbyist and absolutely insist that you will definitely not lobby for at least a year.
At first glance, that doesn’t seem like a big investment. D’Arcy seemed to be better value for money when it was still at the Seanad, but what do we know?
There seems to be more than a Mrs. Merton hint about the company, reminiscent of the famous question from the host of a parody chat show to the glamorous Debbie McGee about her wizard husband: “So what first attracted you to the millionaire? Paul Daniels? “
Innocently
We can imagine Ms. Merton innocently staring at the seated and clothed financiers as she asks smiling, “So what was the first thing that attracted you to the former junior minister in the Finance Department with special responsibility for financial services and insurance?”
D’Arcy’s former boss, Leo Varadkar, didn’t learn of his departure until Sunday, when his friend and one of his staunch supporters broke the news during Fine Gael’s leadership elections.
The Tánaiste was enchanted by him. In a statement, he wished his colleague “the best in his new job and career. I’m sorry to lose him from the Fine Gael parliamentary party, but I can understand why he has made this decision. “
Not a mention of the disturbing “revolving door” aspect of the appointment, according to which a politician leaves an important position one day and moves into the private sector, dealing with similar issues, the next day. Not a mention of the Sipo, the Standards people in the Public Office, and the outgoing politician’s obligation to consult the standards body before his move.
This did not go unnoticed by Mary Lou McDonald, as her last coalition trouble delivery box was filled for Tuesday’s ritual.
Leo said D’Arcy will always be welcome should he decide to run for the match again. “He will be greatly missed at the Oireachtas, and also at the party, where he has made many friends and whom he has served so faithfully. His new employers are lucky enough to hire someone of his caliber. “
That was Monday. On Tuesday night, the Tánaiste’s language went from friendly and effusive to cold and concise.
“I think I should have contacted Sipo before taking office. However, I am glad that this contact took place. I was unaware of this matter prior to Sunday afternoon when Mr. D’Arcy called to say that he had resigned from Seanad and accepted a position in the private sector. “
He also apologized to the Cabinet for the controversy caused by the former senator’s decision to move forward.
Disgusted
The leader of the Green Party was upset by the hand luggage and insisted that the Government seek a review of the powers available to Sipo.
And the Taoiseach had to take it on Mary Lou’s neck on camera. Another hash produced by the tripartite coalition, with the Sinn Féin leader happy to launch it his way.
He didn’t have to tell Micheál Martin how bad he looked, even if Mr. D’Arcy acted with total decorum, as was to be expected.
All he could do was hold on and look with sadness and sadness at the circumstances surrounding Mr. D’Arcy’s transfer to the private sector.
“I am not happy, nor in any way comfortable, with people who have been in office assuming positions, particularly in the area over which they had jurisdiction or responsibility, immediately after or months after leaving office,” he said, adding . that the legislation that supports the Sipo will be reviewed.
No relief for mortgage holders, but a “great job” for the former minister of state, Mary Lou enthused, adding lots of “cozy connections” and “revolving doors.”
He didn’t have to tell Micheál Martin how bad he looked, even if Mr. D’Arcy was acting with total decorum, as was to be expected. He knows.
Mary Lou must be rubbing her hands together in anticipation. What dog dinner will they prepare for us next?
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