Rainbow gets ready to fade out today

RICHARD BRUTON had the right idea

RICHARD BRUTON had the right idea. While most of his colleagues in Government spent their last day in power cleaning out their offices, he and his wife, Susan, were spotted heading for Grafton Street, through the dreary June mist, to buy shorts for their holidays in America.

After an exhausting two and a half years in Government, Ministers spent their final days fulfilling last official engagements and hosting farewell lunches or dinner with staff. Parting can be sweet sorrow over a glass of agreeable desert wine.

All through the various government departments, advisers, programme managers and officials dusted themselves down and got ready to move on as the rainbow prepared to fade out today.

For the industrious Nora Owen in Justice it was, however, a case of a woman's work is never done. On Tuesday night she took her staff for a tasty goodbye morsel in Pier 32, a most pleasant eatery on the south side of town.

READ MORE

But yesterday it was business as usual - a visit to the Criminal Assets Bureau on Harcourt Square, followed by a trip to the Tourist Victim Support Office and back to her Department for a briefing on the latest state of the prison building programme. Then, as women are wont to do, she tidied up.

Today she will take her last drive in the 97 State car before handing it over to her successor and settling for an older model; as Minister for Justice she is entitled to hold onto a State car for a period after leaving office.

Over in Leinster House, Albert Reynolds was preparing to vacate the office he took over in 1994 after his resignation. In the whirligig of politics, it will be taken by none other than his successor, John Bruton. In anticipation of his arrival as ex Taoiseach, Mr Bruton's books were already being stacked at the door of Mr Reynolds's room yesterday.

The Tanaiste, dick Spring, went to a farewell drinks party in Iveagh House in the afternoon, attended by Joan Burton and Gay Mitchell and senior people who worked in his private office. He was given a Martyn Turner cartoon by his staff - the one about "Beef Heart" showing the Kerryman defending the Border against the "Saxon Cow" - BSE.

Michael Noonan, who has spent many a tempestuous week in Health, attended Cabinet with his colleagues for the last time and later went to his office to leave it prim and orderly for his successor. He hosted a goodbye lunch for his trusted staff last week in the Dail's members' restaurant.

The ramifications of a change in government run deep and wide. The Government press secretary, Shane Kenny, is understood to be heading back to RTE where his duties are as yet unclear. The head of Government Information Services, John Foley, will return to Middle Abbey Street, where he was a formerly a journalist with the Irish Independent.

The assistant Government press secretary, Mr Tony Heffernan, is understood to be ready to return to work full time for his party, Democratic Left.