The Minister for Justice John O'Donoghue, one of the wittiest and best speakers in FF, was in full flight at the ardfheis. Since they last met, he said the leadership of the main opposition party was wrestled from a reluctant John Bruton by Fine Gael's answer to Laurel and Hardy - Michael Noonan and Jim Mitchell. "This dynamic duo has led Fine Gael into even greater depths of obscurity. Only now is it dawning on the unfortunate party membership that the Fine Gael "Dream Team" is in fact a nightmare. Michael Noonan has nothing to offer but a bag of worn-out clichΘs. Devoid of coherent policy, rational strategy or particular ability Michael Noonan is where he should be - the mediocre leader of a mediocre party," O'Donoghue said.
Despite the view that a FF/Labour coalition may be the next government, Ruair∅ Quinn got a bigger roasting. "We know what Ruair∅ Quinn is against - but what is he for? The answer is clear - Ruair∅ Quinn is for Ruair∅ Quinn. He wants power to do again what he did before - nothing. I have a message for Mr Quinn. The people have had enough of your aimless opposition. They have had enough of your bucolic bumbling, your incandescent indignation, your self-righteous rhetoric. The people have seen through Ruair∅ Quinn. He may think he's the leader of the Labour Party - but the rest of the country knows that the Labour Party is leaderless.
"Ruair∅ Quinn has caused the Labour Party to drift hither and thither in a sea of pompous pronouncements, pandering to populism and capitulating to cranks. Opinion poll after opinion poll shows that under Ruair∅ Quinn the Labour Party is wasting away. Both Mr Quinn and his party are afraid to confront the simple truth . . . that the corrosive effect which was brought about by its fusion with the Democratic Left, allied to its abandonment of socialism for the cappuccino bars of Dublin 4, have left it stranded at a crossroads between confusion and despair."
Is it true that FF feels it won't need Labour after all? Looks like it - for now. But the numbers next spring will override everything and they may all be pals again.