All animals are equal

It was like animal farm in the Dail this week, commented one seasoned observer. It started with Ned O'Keeffe's pigs; bulls arose during agriculture questions from P.J. Sheahan; the tiger Budget and the Celtic snail were much mentioned on Wednesday; Michael Noonan said the Budget had been drawn up by a committee and consequently was like a camel, which was a horse designed by a committee; Trevor Sargent likened the Government to an ostrich and Derek McDowell called Charlie McCreevy a leopard who couldn't change his spots. Nora Owen said Willie O'Dea, who had just delivered the wittiest and most vicious attack on political opponents heard in a long time, might have been called a mighty mouse by the late Jim Kemmy but as far as others were concerned he was mickey mouse. And mad cows are always with us.