If the nomination of Eoghan Harris to the Seanad was intended to deflect attention from the Taoiseach's promotion of Ivor Callely, it succeeded admirably. Mr Harris is certain to enliven Seanad proceedings, given his extensive pre-election support for Bertie Ahern.
But what does the preferment of a junior minister who was effectively sacked say about the Taoiseach's regard for standards in political life and for the status of the Upper House?
Mr Ahern demanded the resignation of Mr Callely less than two years ago after his home had been decorated for free by a major construction company. The Taoiseach justified his decision on the basis that the public was entitled to an absolute guarantee about the financial probity and integrity of its elected representatives. Perhaps as a consequence, the Dublin North Central TD lost his seat in the general election. He was then refused a Seanad nomination by his parliamentary colleagues. He was nominated by Fianna Fáil head office but failed to win a seat in the Seanad election.
Standards that applied during the lifetime of the last government appear to have been abandoned. Arrangements for the readmission of Beverley Flynn to Fianna Fáil and her promotion to government are underway. Mr Callely's nomination to the Seanad represented another departure. And while such actions might conceivably be justified on the grounds of party constituency advantage, they may also represent the Taoiseach cocking a snoot at critics of his personal financial affairs.
There has been much talk of Seanad reform. Nearly 30 years ago, people voted in a referendum to broaden the voting system for six university seats. But nothing happened. An error factor of about 50 per cent has now developed in university voting registers. But the only commitment to reform by Minister for the Environment John Gormley involves the university franchise.
The Green Party and the Progressive Democrats received four of the 11 seats in the Taoiseach's gift. The nomination of Dan Boyle, financial spokesman and one of the main negotiators for the Green Party, was regarded as a forgone conclusion. But the appointment of Fiona O'Malley of the Progressive Democrats has provided her with a route to the top should Mary Harney step down.
The Taoiseach made an inadequate gesture in the direction of gender balance by breaking with recent practice and appointing two women, rather than one, out of six Fianna Fáil nominees. That lack of vision and concern for the reputation of the Seanad is nothing new. The convention of a homogeneous, male-dominated Oireachtas in a rapidly evolving, multi-cultural society, persists.