As always seems to happen in Leinster House after much bluster, issues which one day appear to be earth-shattering fizzle out the next day into much ado about nothing.
Media reports last weekend suggested that the Government was between a rock and a hard place over Judge Flood's request to have his terms of reference changed. It was suggested that if the Government said No it was damned and if it answered Yes then it would leave it wide open to criticism over the Moriarty tribunal terms of reference.
This was built up to be a huge showdown, and while there was quite a lot of shouting in the Dail on Tuesday across the floor, Bertie Ahern stuck to his guns. He confirmed previous attorney generals' advice that tribunal terms of reference could not be changed except by a change of legislation, and this is what he proposed. John Bruton, as he is prone to do, went in at the deep end, in that he alleged that the Government's move was unconstitutional.
At the time it seemed that his opposition colleague Ruairi Quinn was backing him. But then, overnight, the Labour spinners disagreed with Bruton's analysis. Once this happened it took the wind out of Bruton's sails and the next day in the Dail there was hardly a mention of the issue , always a good indication that the Opposition accepts it has lost the argument.
The fact that Labour and Fine Gael have divided on this, and on a number of other issues over the last number of months, shows that each party is endeavouring to carve out its own niche. But at the same time they are both falling into the trap that governments love to lay, that is, divide and conquer.
Drapier notes that the Dail Committee on Public Accounts has published its report on the Army deafness claims. Fine Gael's Jim Mitchell, who chairs this committee, made all the running on this one, to a certain extent assisting the Government, and Defence Minister Michael Smith in particular.
Drapier noticed, in Wednesday's edition of The Irish Times, a letter to the Editor castigating anyone who finds fault with the Army claim situation. In this letter mention is made of Michael Bell. Remember him? Drapier wonders whatever happened to Michael Bell since his announcement that he was about to make his own compensation claim for deafness against the Army.
Drapier recalls, in the dim and distant past, that Deputy Bell was going to hold a "monster meeting" in Athlone on behalf of the soldiers. Drapier cannot ever remember seeing any reports of this meeting.
The by-elections are sure hotting up. The recent poll in the Limerick Leader indicates that the Government will lose a seat here, probably to Fine Gael's Mary Jackman, although there is some suggestion that Labour's Jan O'Sullivan, with the aid of DL's John Ryan's transfers, may cause an upset.
If this is the case it will be a huge slap in the face to Fine Fail's Willie O'Dea who, it is said, has invested much time and effort in this election (although his old colleague Maire Geogh eganQuinn didn't think so, if her article in last Saturday's Irish Times is anything to go by).
Last week Drapier's hunch suggested a Government loss in Limerick and a neck-and-neck battle in Dublin, and this is the way it looks like panning out.
Dublin North seems to be very difficult to call, although Labour's Sean Ryan may shade it. If the Fianna Failers are to be believed, they seem to be getting a good reaction on the doors, whereas the other parties are saying there is total apathy.
The election seems to be hotting up, in that accusation and counter-accusation are flying regarding dirty tricks. Claire Daly, the Socialist Party candidate, found it necessary to issue an immediate statement on RTE, to answer a previous report which alleged that she had given up the ghost.
She categorically denied this and went on to say she had not asked her people to vote for Labour's Sean Ryan. She followed this the next evening by intimating that she was taking legal proceedings against the local paper, to get it to withdraw the edition in which this appeared.
This open warfare between Labour and their erstwhile colleagues now in the Socialist Party is yet again proving to be "the mother of all battles". It is expected that Claire Daly's preference votes may very well elect the ultimate winner. It remains to be seen whether her voters will support their arch-"socialist" enemies of Labour or whether or not they will support either of the right-wing parties.
The usual election ducks and drakes is going on in the House. The Opposition position normally is to not play ball with the Government, in that it makes the working of the Dail more difficult. Pairs are at a minimum, which ties the Government members to the House. This prevents them from getting out on the hustings while the Opposition members roam free. Time will tell whether this type of tactic pays off.
Speaking of rifts, while it is being suggested that while the Fianna Fail PD relationship in Government is excellent, on the ground it is not as rosy. The PD candidate in North Dublin, from a small base, is maintaining total independence and has no pacts with the bigger party, whereas in Limerick the PD standard-bearer, Tim O'Malley, is reputed to be doing extremely well, and the destination of his transfers may very well determine whether Fianna Fail wins or loses this contest.
If, because of poor transfers from the PDs, Fianna Fail was to lose the Limerick election, readers can take it that it will only be a matter of time before the whispering campaign between the two starts.