So the Government intends to stick around for its full term of office, which means a general election early next year.
At least, that’s the official line. Around Leinster House, politicians aren’t so sure.
TDs and Senators are loading up their boots with boxes of stationery and there is much cooing in the corridors over leaflets as politicians mark the arrival of new bundles of literature.
While you will find no shortage of deputies from all sides willing to give reasons why the Coalition could easily head for the hills in late autumn, the Taoiseach has been insisting the election will be held in 2016.
That was until Wednesday, when he dismissed a suggestion in the Dáil from Gerry Adams that he should go to the country now.
“I do not intend to call a general election until it is appropriate to do so,” said Enda, dropping the usual mention of next year.
Which means it could be any time.
TDs aren’t taking any chances. Mattie McGrath was showing off his new leaflet to a group of constituents in the restaurant on Thursday. It’s blank on the back so people can write back to Mattie with their concerns.
A fold-out production from Independent Senator Fidelma Healy Eames was doing the rounds. Her “draft” election leaflet is very busy, featuring pictures of the candidate with various Ministers and lots of information about all the issues (far too many to list) she is championing.
Healy Eames has a slogan. It is thought-provoking. Mysterious, even.
“First the people.”
It drew an instant response from a passing backbencher: “And then the animals.”
Some TDs would be happy to go the distance, particularly those who don’t intend to run again. Former Labour minister Pat Rabbitte might be one of them.
There were reports during the week that Pat – a man not unfamiliar with radio studios – has been lined up by Newstalk to take over from George Hook, who isn’t expected to stay on in his drivetime slot beyond next year.
When we asked Rabbitte about his intentions, he went very coy, although he is aware of the rumours.
"We could call it The Left Hook," he said, smirking.
Clontarf abuzz over sightings of Gerry Adams
Here’s the Taoiseach during Leaders’ Questions on Wednesday as he gives Gerry Adams a lecture: “The people of this country have faced difficult choices in the last number of years. We are now emerging from a recession . . . Our challenge is to manage this carefully for the generation coming behind us.
“Nobody believes that people should not make a contribution for water. When someone turns on a tap, whether in Donegal, Louth, Clontarf, Kerry or Waterford, somebody has to pay for what comes out . . . ”
Since when has Clontarf achieved county status? Was Enda implying something? Was he hopping a ball?
His mention of Clontarf may have been because the location jumped into his head while listing off counties. Yet we couldn’t help wondering if the Taoiseach (who has strong family connections in this leafy seaside area on Dublin’s northside) was having a dig at Gerry.
Why? Because there has been an awful lot of talk in Clontarf about a recent arrival in the neighbourhood – one G Adams.
An acquaintance told us he’s been “the talk of the school gates in Belgrove”. And the line “He’s been seen shopping in Nolan’s” is heading into urban myth territory. The name of his upscale apartment complex is often mentioned. There is also talk of a bungalow.
We’ve seen nothing. But then, we’ve yet to have a sighting of Mick Wallace, and Ivor Callely ventures out far too early in the morning for most people to catch a glimpse.
A colleague (not from the area) contacted Sinn Féin about the rumour, which is doing the rounds in political circles. A spokesman confirmed that Gerry has a place where he stays when in Dublin, but refused, for security reasons, to say what part of the city.
This is very understandable, as Adams has received death threats in the past.
But the ladies of Clontarf are also understandably worried. Naked trampolining would so lower the tone . . .
MLA Phil Flanagan puts himself in picture
Speaking of leaflets, candidates south of the Border could do worse than look to Fermanagh’s Phil Flanagan for an enterprising way to spice up their promotional literature.
“Photoshop Phil”, as he has been dubbed by the Fermanagh Herald, alleges he wasn’t invited to the launch of a major sports funding project in the county and nobody from a nationalist background was invited to attend the event.
The multimillion-pound Regional Shared Sports Facility pilot programme has been set up by the Department of Social Development (DSD) to provide sporting facilities which will “enable divided and isolated communities to establish new friendly relations”.
It includes the provision of seven sports pitches – four at Orange Lodge sites and three at GAA grounds – around Northern Ireland. The project was launched by two Ministers – Arlene Foster and Mervyn Storey – at Maguirestown Orange Lodge, the first location to receive funding.
Afterwards, the DSD sent out an official PR photograph. Assembly member Flanagan, incensed by what he says was his exclusion from the launch, promptly Photoshopped himself into the picture.
And he changed the soccer ball held by the two Ministers to a GAA ball while the shovel bearing the newly turned sod became a large hurley.
“When they exclude one section [of the community] from the launch it’s not a very good start,” he said.
“The fact that other MLAs and councillors were invited but the largest party in the area were excluded sends out a very poor message . . . I didn’t know the Orange Order had a history in sports development in the county.”
Flanagan’s work presents intriguing creative possibilities for politicians in this jurisdiction who will be anxious to stand out from the canvassing crowd in the general election. Before we know it, they’ll be high-fiving Obama, wrestling with tigers and kissing the pope.
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin’s new goal: PolskaÉire
Minister of State Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has been working hard to make this week’s PolskaÉire festival a success.
It comes under his remit as Minister for New Communities and his department has organised the event with the help of the Polish embassy here and the Football Association of Ireland. (There’s the small matter of a Euro 2016 qualifier in the Aviva stadium tomorrow night and the festival was timed to coincide with the match.)
But Aodhán is also a big Dubs supporter, so he set up a GAA challenge match between an Oireachtas selection and a team drawn from Dublin’s Polish community in Dublin.
Last Tuesday night the Minister led his Leinster House team out on to the pitch in Parnell Park. The useful players from the Oireachtas staff were augmented by Ó Ríordáin and fellow TDs Paul Connaughton and Brendan Griffin from Fine Gael, Independent Michael Fitzmaurice and Senators John Whelan, James Heffernan and John Gilroy from Labour and Fianna Fáil’s Mark Daly.
The visitors got stuck in, despite their shaky understanding of the rules. They were particularly worried about the niceties of tackling.
Soon into the match, Heffernan – who proved the outstanding player of the night – switched sides to give the Polish players a chance. Or it might have been to get away from Gilroy.
Heffernan, who left the Labour ranks following his opposition to the Government’s first budget, had been refusing to vacate the office he once shared with Gilroy. The authorities recently “relocated” his belongings to a new office.
Fitzmaurice played in goal and had a blinder. Not much got past him and when it did, he laughed, to the disgust of his more competitive colleagues.
Senator Gilroy hasn’t been seen in Leinster House since the game. He collided with the Polish chargé d’affairs, who was trying to pull off a tackle, fell heavily and broke his arm.
