Ceann Comhairle YouTubed but not yet driven to drink

THE CEANN Comhairle has proved a big hit in the 31st Dáil. Seán Barrett combines a droll sense of humour with an endearing crankiness as he tries to control rowdy TDs hoping to steal a headline.

It’s a frustrating job, one that would drive anyone to the drink.

On budget Wednesday, it looked like Seán had finally cracked. Some eagle-eyed person took a photograph, or screen grab, from the television broadcast and posted it on the internet. It appeared to show a glass of beer on the Ceann Comhairle’s desk.

As is the way with these things, the story gained legs and by the following day, this column received a number of emails from people convinced they had just witnessed Garglegate II.

“This is an outrageous practice, not to mention unprofessional, especially as yesterday and today are arguably two of the more important Dáil meetings of the year. I hope that this issue can be highlighted and stamped out,” wrote one woman, disgusted by “the fact” that the Ceann Comhairle had “a pint of beer” in front of him.

We bumped into Seán on Thursday. Is it true, Ceann Comhairle? Did you bring in a bevvy to get you through the budget?

“I heard about that. Somebody

told me it was up on YouTube. Never heard anything more ridiculous in my life. It was the usual glass of water.”

The Dáil Communications Unit had to get involved when the picture appeared on the politics.ie website, posting a terse declaration that there was “absolutely no question of the Ceann Comhairle bringing a glass of beer into the chamber”.

It was just a trick of the light playing against the water in the cut crystal glass on the mahogany desk.

Deputy Barrett, who has been known to take the occasional pint of Smithwicks, was bemused by the fuss.

But it’s not the first time he has been misrepresented on the internet. A clip of a purported Dáil exchange between him and Richard Boyd-Barrett got thousands of hits.

In it, the Ceann Comhairle appeared to round off his admonition of deputy Boyd-Barrett with a fevered utterance of “b****x”.

Again, it never happened, it was the work of a prankster who tweaked the audio.

Meanwhile, Seán has his hands full with his bickering charges. They were taking lumps off each other on Wednesday during Leaders’ Questions.

The Ceann Comhairle’s patience reached its limit.

“Before the Taoiseach replies, I wish to address Members. If they check with the House’s communications section and my office, they will see that the number of complaints being received about the behaviour and shouting during these sessions is incredible,” he told deputies.

“Members might believe that they are gaining political kudos, but they are losing. Will they please give people an opportunity to ask a question and to have it answered?

There will always be a little bit of banter, but shouting and roaring is out of order.” Needless to say, his plea fell on deaf ears.

We contacted the Communications Unit and a spokesman said that about 5,000 complaints and comments have come in since the start of sittings this year.

The Ceann Comhairle would also receive a large volume of personal correspondence.

“We don’t officially log them, but many of the complaints are about the shouting in the chamber. We had one this morning saying that male TDs should be more respectful towards female members.”