Enda's killing the Opposition with kindness

DÁIL SKETCH:THERE IS still an air of novelty about the new crowd.

This, despite the fact that Enda and most of his front bench could hardly be described as political ingenues. Some of them have been around the block so often they’ve worn ruts in the concrete.

Yet when the buzzer sounded for the 31st Dáil, these Leinster House veterans flew out of the traps like a pack of portly greyhounds on a promise.

What gives? Could it just be the simple fact that they aren’t the previous shower? Or that some of them are privately indicating that they may give way to younger blood after a couple of years and this is their last chance to make a difference? Certainly, Enda Kenny wastes no opportunity to remind his main Opposition that Fianna Fáil piloted the nation on to the rocks. He was at it again yesterday during Leaders’ Questions.

But there has to be more.

The Taoiseach continues to impress in the chamber. He has adopted a conciliatory approach to his colleagues on the other side of the House which still manages to catch observers by surprise.

With the last few governments, when a useful suggestion was offered from across the floor it was either rebuffed or, at best, sniffily received. Occasionally, the idea would be repackaged and then claimed without acknowledgment.

Shane Ross was the Technical Group’s speaker during questions. He was unhappy about the Government’s decision to impose a levy on private pensions, suggesting that they should have gone after the “gold mine” of the fund managers. “This is a swamp of hidden funds, upfront fees and riches for people who actually do not deliver to the people that they are milking,” he said.

Enda was all ears and Ruairí Quinn, sitting next to him, nodded approvingly.

“Well, that’s actually a constructive suggestion, Deputy Ross . . . I do believe this is a matter that should be looked at,” he replied, putting Shane on notice that he’ll be sending Baldy around in jig time to take down the full particulars.

Micheál Martin wanted to see the documentation and advice relied upon to support their plan to take €1.9 billion from the pension funds. If it wasn’t released it would bolster a “growing impression” that the move was more about public relations spin than the actual substance of the measure.

The Taoiseach indicated there would be plenty of debate about it and “if there is any outstanding information the deputy seeks, it will be provided to him, because there is not anything secret here”. Virgin territory, so. “He’s trying to kill them with kindness,” marvelled the press gallery cynics.

But Micheál insisted on seeing “the advices”. Pat Rabbitte waded in. “Give us the advice on the bank guarantee.” Micheál shrugged, whereupon Enda revealed “the advice is political judgment”. That’s a dangerous thing to be admitting. Brave, though.

After the Dáil formalities, the Taoiseach and his Ministers fanned out and did the rounds, explaining the finer detail of their Jobs Initiative to the media. “Modest” was the word du jour. Baby steps, and all that.

Some, like Brendan Howlin and Joan Burton, had already done the morning radio shows. There is a sense of movement and enthusiasm about these Ministers.

Take Joan, who did a good job of explaining the initiative on the Newstalk Breakfast Show. She already had a few hours of early morning work under her belt when she arrived, and as she was dashing into the studio, she gulped down a quick cup of tea.

Unfortunately, there were consequences in the form of an unmerciful ministerial burp live on air. For the rest of the day, poor Joan was absolutely mortified.

Her amusing eructation was the talk of the Twitter Machine and some unkind souls around Leinster House immediately dubbed her Minister Burpton.

Not that they are in the humour of laughing in certain Opposition quarters. The broadly approving reception for Tuesday’s Jobs Initiative didn’t go unnoticed.

“If we had done that, it would have been called a Fianna Fáil stroke,” sighed one doleful FFer.

But around the corridors, there was an acknowledgement that Enda and his Government are at least trying to address the problems and working hard to generate the right sort of momentum.

“It’s something – movement. People might not want to part with any more of their hard-earned money, but they want a bit of hope for their children and grandchildren’s future. If they can at least believe the Government is trying to do something, it’s a start,” remarked a former senator, surveying the political landscape.

There is talk that Labour’s Brendan “Howitzer” Howlin, the Minister for Public Service Reform and Expenditure, has adopted a very tough approach to some of the more cossetted elements in the public service. Some say he will be the man to balance up the sting caused by the raid on private pensions.

But for now, the fairly muted response in the Dáil to the Jobs Initiative will have encouraged Enda Kenny and his Ministers.

On Monday, the Taoiseach said Prof Morgan Kelly’s doomsday prescription for curing our financial woes would deliver “a lethal injection” to the economy. His Cabinet’s activity over the last two days is their Morgan-after pill.

It’s a start.

Spin, stroke; substance, sincerity? Context is everything.