Enda was feeling the love yesterday morning.
“It is rare that we get the chance to vote on something so unquantifiable yet transformative as love. But in just five weeks we will,” he gurgled at a gathering of tech industry leaders calling for a Yes vote in the same-sex marriage referendum.
Enda seemed to be enjoying himself at this happy event. Sure, who’d want to deny anyone “the day out” he said to crowd, throwing in a non-explanatory “as we say in Ireland” for the Silicon Valley lads.
Meanwhile, Minister for the Arts, Heather Humphreys was on Moore Street outside the final headquarters of the 1916 leaders. In brilliant sunshine, Heather prodded green peppers, cracked jokes with the dealers and looked like she was about to burst into a joyous Dicey Reilly duet with Lord Mayor, Christy Burke. Feelin’ the vegetables and the love.
Winsome puppies
Photographs arrived in the email before midday. It was only the Minister for Agriculture, posing for pictures with some irresistibly winsome puppies. Simon Coveney was welcoming the introduction of a set of minimum standards for websites which sell pets online. All in all, a lovely morning.
Then along came Tánaiste’s Questions – the Dáil’s Thursday “JML” special. “JML” stands for Joan/Mary Lou. Definitely not feeling the love.
In years to come, the weekly bouts between these close neighbours from Dublin 7 will be recalled when the history of the 31st Dáil is up for consideration. By then, Joan's exploits will have a one-woman show in Liberty Hall and Mary Lou her very own roll of honour in An Phoblacht as heroine of the Cabra Road Conflict.
McDonald came dressed for business yesterday. Head to toe in fire engine red, it was a declaration of intent. She was going to be loud. The Sinn Féin deputy leader has never been a shrinking violet. But in both appearance and performance yesterday, Mary Lou seemed to be sending out a very defiant message to those who would seek to censure her for abusing parliamentary privilege.
Here she was, getting stuck into the Tánaiste, a life-sized red rag waving at the bulling government TDs. She castigated Burton for allowing cuts in the lone-parent allowance.
The Tánaiste is taking food from the tables and money from the pockets of some of the poorest people in the country, she claimed. The Tánaiste compared the benefits which would be available to lone parents in Northern Ireland, where Sinn Féin is in power.
Dependent on welfare
Sinn Féin’s “vision”, said the Labour leader, is to keep people dependent on welfare, but she wants to see people getting back to work and improving their lives.
However, if Mary Lou would like to forward the details of a particular case she mentioned, she would do her best to see if she can increase her income with family income supplement. The Sinn Féin deputy leader was disgusted with what she heard. Joan had given a “smart” and “condescending” answer.
Furthermore, Sinn Féin is doing its best to fight the Tory cuts in the North. Then she effectively told the Tánaiste to butt out of her party’s business in the North and attend to her own down here.
Jed Nash pointed out that poverty levels in West Belfast were the worst in the UK. That didn’t improve Mary Lou’s humour. Things got very heated between the two.
Joan said she didn’t think much of Mary Lou’s “lecturing and hectoring.”
“Not interested in that,” sniffed McDonald, dismissing Burton’s reply, sweeping her arm across in a “talk to the hand” gesture. “You won’t silence me!” the Tánaiste roared at her, intimating that that’s what Sinn Féin do to people “in their own venue” in the North.
Across the floor, Mary Lou flashed her a look which said “Here’s your sister!” There’s a pair of them in it all right. And all out of love.
