EU PRESIDENCY: Ireland's EU presidency took a final lap of honour in Strasbourg yesterday with a debate in the European Parliament that saw politicians of every persuasion praise the work of the last six months.
The occasion was a report by the Taoiseach on the presidency's achievements, chief of which was the agreement last month on the constitutional treaty. The Socialist MEP Mr Klaus Hänsch said the presidency and Mr Ahern in particular had played an exceptional role.
"It was your intelligent, determined and calm negotiations over the past six months that made it possible to find agreement. It was your success and your team's success," he said.
The Taoiseach was joined in Strasbourg yesterday by the Minister of State for European Affairs, Mr Dick Roche, and by key officials, led by Ireland's permanent representative to the EU, Ms Anne Anderson, and the head of the EU division, Mr Bobby McDonagh.
The Liberal MEP Mr Andrew Duff captured the mood when he described Ireland's "prize-winning presidency" as "canny, courageous and committed". The Fianna Fáil MEP Mr Brian Crowley said the Taoiseach deserved a rest, the diplomats deserved more money and Mr Roche deserved "a boost" into the Cabinet.
The Commission president, Mr Romano Prodi, described the Taoiseach's success in persuading EU leaders to give unanimous backing to Mr José Manuel Barroso as "a political and diplomatic masterpiece". Mr Prodi later rewarded the Taoiseach with a warm embrace and two big kisses.
Yesterday's debate saw the first interventions by a number of new Irish MEPs, including the Independents Ms Marian Harkin and Ms Kathy Sinnott and the Sinn Féin MEPs Ms Mary Lou McDonald and Ms Bairbre De Brún.
All four spoke a few words of Irish, although Ms Sinnott might benefit from a Gael Linn grammar course before she tries it again. Ms De Brún invoked the memory of Bobby Sands and, in almost identical words to those used by Ms McDonald, vouchsafed that Sinn Féin stood for change.
The DUP MEP, Mr Jim Allister, made clear that his party stood for no change at all, particularly to the status of the Irish language in the EU. He urged the Taoiseach to abandon his campaign to make Irish an official working language. "He should leave such archaic nonsense to Sinn Féin, from whom one expects no better," he said.