The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, missed the furore created by Independent TD Mr Tom Gildea's rare venture into the public arena on Wednesday night, for a pub opening on the Navan Road.
Under the rules of the Oireachtas, the Taoiseach and ministers can be paired off with Fine Gael TDs to miss Dβil votes so that they can deal with official business. Last night, however, Fine Gael was far from convinced that the opening of the Halfway House pub qualified as a pressing matter of State.
"The Taoiseach will speak between 8.30 p.m. and 8.45 p.m. after which there will be an open bar and some finger food available for all attendees," said a press release issued on behalf of the pub.
The Fine Gael Chief Whip, Cork East TD Mr Paul Bradford, complained: "I think we will have to review our attitude to future requests for pairs."
A Labour Party official donned prohibitionist garb to sniff at his absence. "This is an abuse of the pairing system. Just last week we had Micheβl Martin publishing a document about alcohol abuse."
The disclosure about the Taoiseach's movements illustrates the "arms race" evident in the Dβil where one story about a missing TD is met with immediate retaliation from the other side.
Former Tβnaiste Mr Dick Spring could have helped to tie the vote on the demand by Fine Gael, Labour and the Green Party for a public inquiry into the McBrearty Affair, but he arrived late. The Opposition could not have won the vote but with Mr Spring, it could have forced the Government to rely on the casting vote of the Ceann Comhairle, Mr SΘamus Pattison.
The Kerry North TD was around for the second vote on the Government's proposal to appoint a senior lawyer to investigate all files on the controversy, but by this time the Green Party's two TDs had gone.
The party leader, Mr Trevor Sargent, had popped across the road to Buswell's Hotel to attend his mother's birthday party, while his colleague, Mr John Gormley, was at a function.
Last night, Mr Gormley was not happy. "Look, the votes were late. Fine Gael and Labour decided to prolong the debate without consulting us. We had appointments made."
