SKETCH:FINE GAEL backbencher Derek Keating spread his net far and wide when he suggested to Taoiseach Enda Kenny yesterday that he consider an honours system.

He wanted it modelled on the British OBE, the French ordre national du mérite, the New Zealand order of merit or the US congressional gold medal.

The recipients, said Keating, would be people who in any field of endeavour had rendered service to the State through distinguished works or outstanding achievements.

We had many “unrecognised patriots”, he said.

Kenny let him down gently.

A State honours system had been discussed before but failed to secure all-party agreement.

“Personally, I do not favour the conferral of formal titles on people,” he added.

He did not want to see a situation where titles such as “Lord” were conferred on people by the State.

Kenny recalled that the then taoiseach Bertie Ahern had consulted the other party leaders about an honours system in 1999. But the overwhelming majority of the Fine Gael front bench at the time opposed it.

Ahern, he said, had again raised an honours system in 2007, but no agreement was reached with the other parties.

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams recalled that British prime minister David Cameron had once mistakenly named him as a baron.

“I thought the Taoiseach might be pleased to know that if he did bring in an award for political U-turns, I would be pleased to nominate him and the Tánaiste as joint honoraries,” he added.

Fine Gael’s Bernard Durkan suggested that Adams would meet the criteria for such an honour.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, who keeps a close electoral eye on Sinn Féin these days, donned his republican hat.

The fundamentals of a republic were based on merit, he said, adding that the notion of honours did not sit easily with a republican viewpoint. In a rare moment of agreement with the Fianna Fáil leader, the Taoiseach said he would not like a situation where people were awarded honours on the basis of who they might be.

Inevitably, the presidential election surfaced in the chamber.

Fianna Fáil’s Timmy Dooley, referring to Gay Mitchell’s poor poll ratings, suggested Kenny would not be in a hurry to have an election to the Áras again.

“At least we have a candidate,” said Government Chief Whip Paul Kehoe.

Addressing the Fianna Fáil benches, his party colleague Jerry Buttimer asked: “Who gave Seán the envelope?”

The election banter prevented Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald getting a word in when she was called to speak. Ceann Comhairle Seán Barrett said TDs should show respect for McDonald and reprimanded Buttimer.

“I thank the Ceann Comhairle for defending my honour against Deputy Buttimer, not for the first time,” she said.

It will not be the last. There is no stopping the Fine Gael backbencher when he considers his party’s honour is at stake.