Attack on Opposition: Opposition leaders Enda Kenny and Pat Rabbitte were accused by Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism John O'Donoghue of trying to knife the Taoiseach in the back, both personally and politically, during the recent payments controversy.
He told the ardfheis that next year Bertie Ahern would offer to provide another term of strong, stable, sensible government which the Irish people wanted and deserved.
"There is no alternative. Of course, Pat and Enda recognised that too. That is why they tried to knife him personally and politically when details of problems he had in his private life were leaked two months ago.
"Knowing they could not beat him at the polls, Pat and Enda hoped to do him down before the people got their say. But enough of the people got their say in the opinion polls to show who the people felt needed to be taught a sharp lesson," said Mr O'Donoghue.
For too long success in Ireland begat begrudgery, but in the Ireland of today, which Mr Ahern had done so much to shape, begrudgery begat failure.
"So where does this leave Pat and Enda, the Podge and Rodge of Irish politics.
"Of course, whether you like them or not, Podge and Rodge are certainly outrageous. Pat and Enda are just as consistently outraged. Outraged at the Taoiseach, outraged at the Tánaiste, outraged at the Taoiseach again, outraged at the lack of popular outrage and, finally, outraged by the opinion polls.
"Well, if Podge and Rodge are in many ways a throwback to the 80s, if Pat and Enda were running the show, with a flighty Trevor Sargent adding the glamour, we would actually be thrown straight back into the 80s," said Mr O'Donoghue.
"The fact that neither Pat nor Enda can ever make it on their own also tells its own story. For the fact is that at the heart of any alternative lies not only the Workers' Party masquerading as Labour but also the loony green fringe.
"We do not need, and we cannot afford, the anti-industry, anti-enterprise and anti-agriculture prejudices of the self-proclaimed Green Party."
