DÁIL SKETCH:The Government crew is in no mood for lectures from a former minister

IRELAND MIGHT be similar to the Titanic, but it is not clear if it will be a case of women and children first should we collide with the dreaded economic iceberg.

This emerged yesterday as the fallout from the budget rolled on.

Fianna Fáil deputy leader Éamon Ó Cuív navigated a confrontational path with Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore at Opposition Leaders’ Questions.

"Attacking a €7 increase in welfare payments in 2009, the Tánaiste said it was the meanest possible increase and, if it were the Titanic, it would be women and children last,'' said Ó Cuív.

“First,’’ suggested his party colleague Willie O’Dea, a veteran of choppy political waters.

“No, last,’’ insisted Ó Cuív, who went on to lambaste the Government for the budgetary cuts affecting lower-income families and women.

Government crew members sitting with Gilmore were in no mood to take political lectures from the former Fianna Fáil minister.

As the heckling began, Ó Cuív thought he observed Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte smiling. He suggested that the Minister was treating what he had to say as fun. “I think it is hilarious,’’ said Rabbitte.

“Better than green tea,’’ suggested the health conscious Fine Gael heckler-in-chief Jerry Buttimer, who shed pounds in a weight-loss programme with other TDs in the last Dáil.

An unsmiling Gilmore moved to shed Ó Cuív’s budget criticism, claiming it was a bit rich given Fianna Fáil had proposed even bigger cuts.

Gilmore later briefed Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald on Government measures to deal with problems arising from the reduction in teaching posts in disadvantaged schools.

When McDonald renewed her criticism of the cuts, Gilmore’s patience ran out.

“I think Deputy McDonald is either hard of hearing or is simply heedless,’’ he declared.

“Pardon me?’’ McDonald replied.

There was more post-budget grief for the Tánaiste when Independent TD Shane Ross warned about the “15 per cent timebomb’’ which would explode next month when Dublin commuters paid higher public transport fares.

As Ross predicted the fallout would be a bigger problem for the Government than the household charge, some of his colleagues were in a nearby hotel assuring the media they were prepared to go to jail before paying the €100.

Labour’s Arthur Spring interjected to say that reductions were available to those commuters using the Leap card, but Ross’s expression suggested it was a step too far for him to accept. “We will send the deputy a Leap card for Christmas,’’ said Rabbitte.

Appealing for calmer parliamentary waters, Ceann Comhairle Seán Barrett urged them to remember that Santa Claus was coming next week.

Judging by events inside and outside the Dáil, Santa’s visit is likely to be brief. January should see the winter of our discontent give way to a new year of protest and parliamentary rancour.