James O’Connor, the Fianna Fáil backbencher for Cork East who was recalled home from China to vote in the Dáil on Wednesday, has returned to Beijing to complete his junket to the Far East.
“He’s spent more time in the air this week than some of those Aer Lingus pilots,” remarked one Fianna Fáil deputy upon hearing the news of O’Connor’s quick turnaround.
He flew out last Friday to the Chinese capital with party colleagues Pádraig O’Sullivan, the TD for Cork North-Central, and Louth-based Senator Erin McGreehan. However, with two crucial votes set to take place the following week, party leader Micheál Martin contacted the two TDs on Monday night and ordered them back to base.
The party did not clear the two travellers for take-off, although we understand they told colleagues they had independently arranged voting pairs for themselves. A pairing arrangement is when an opposition TD agrees to facilitate the absence of a government TD by not voting, thus cancelling each other out.
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The two Cork deputies were rather peeved at having to fly halfway around the world to be present for the Dáil votes. Their disgruntlement was noted by “sympathetic” colleagues in the Members’ Bar who found the incident highly entertaining.
The fact that the three Fianna Fáilers had been away came as a surprise to many in the party, who heard nothing about trips to China and were rather put out by this. They presumed it was arranged by the Ireland-China Parliamentary Friendship Group (there are 48 such groups in the Oireachtas) as O’Connor is its convener.
He was one of three members of the group who officially visited China in September when Zheng Jianbang, vice-chairperson of the standing committee of China’s National People’s Congress, met them at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The other two were Barry Cowen, now Fianna Fáil’s new MEP in Midlands North West, and Sinn Féin’s Aengus Ó Snodaigh.
Journalist Ken Foxe reported last month that the friendship group’s September trip to China was the most expensive trip undertaken by TDs and Senators last year, coming in at over €20,000. The flights cost €17,000 and the accommodation bill came in at €3,171 with smaller sums paid for subsistence and miscellaneous items.
However, this latest excursion is not a Friendship Group trip and was neither arranged nor funded by Leinster House, where it is presumed that the Chinese are footing the bill. The FF Three are not representing their party either – a spokesperson indicated on Friday that it wasn’t informed of their plans.
The Irish Times was unable to contact any of the three intrepid politicians on Friday although some colleagues said O’Sullivan did not fly back to China. But “Baby of the Dáil” James O’Connor, the youngest TD in Leinster House, was back on another flight to Beijing in no time.
“At this rate the lad’s carbon footprint will be longer than the Great Wall of China,” marvelled a fascinated colleague.
The Ireland-China Parliamentary Friendship Group is not to be confused with the Irish wing of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, which highlights human rights abuses by the Chinese Communist Party and is co-chaired by Senators Barry Ward and Malcolm Byrne.
Daly’s disembodied voice
Dáil proceedings had to be suspended on Wednesday morning when Fianna Fáil Senator Mark Daly interrupted his party leader Micheál Martin during Questions on Foreign Affairs, and several efforts had to be made to remove him from the chamber.
It happened during a robust exchange between Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy and the Tánaiste over the proposed reappointment of Ursula von der Leyen as European Commission president.
Just as the Fianna Fáil leader was rejecting Carthy’s charge that if the Government backed her it would “ignore the fact that she gave a green light to genocide”, a disembodied voice boomed out around the Dáil chamber.
Micheál was stopped in his tracks. So was Matt, along with the small handful of TDs present. They craned their necks and swivelled their heads. The quizzical expression on Micheál’s face was a joy to behold, for it was, unmistakably, the voice of Senator Daly, a former cathaoirleach of the Seanad.
One of the monitors positioned around the back of the chamber is permanently tuned into the Seanad – only picture, no sound.
Minister of State Sean Fleming turned to the Tánaiste and said: “I’d say that’s the first time you’ve been usurped in the Dáil by a Senator.”
Matt Carthy told him: “I bet that’s not the first time that particular Senator has disrupted you.”
Micheál had sacked the Kerry politician as his party’s deputy Seanad leader and spokesperson for foreign affairs after he took part in an unsanctioned launch for a Fianna Fáil election candidate in Northern Ireland in 2018.
[ Fianna Fáil disciplines Senator over candidate ‘launch’ in NorthOpens in new window ]
Seán told us what happened: “It took a minute for people to cop on to where the sound was coming from – up in the far corner opposite the Government benches. One of the ushers rushed to get the remote control and ran up the steps to mute it. But nothing happened.
“Then another usher arrived with a chair and he stood on it to try and push the ‘off’ button but he couldn’t find any buttons.
“So the next thing was to send for an electrician, but it would be at least five minutes before he arrived and as we couldn’t talk because Mark was so loud the Leas-Cheann Comhairle suspended the House.”
The electrician eventually arrived with a different remote. He put Mark off and everyone else out of their misery.
Wouldn’t be surprised if Micheál is still having nightmares about it.
Is Jack Chambers ready for Finance?
Micheál’s man in finance
If Fine Gael can have the youngest-ever Taoiseach then Fianna Fáil can have the youngest-ever Minister for Finance.
To celebrate the elevation of Jack Chambers (33½) to Minister of Finance, the party released a 13-second video featuring a delighted Micheál Martin showing how he is down with the kids by shaking hands in his office with Chambers of Commerce, who so doesn’t care that he isn’t even wearing a tie with his edgy navy suit.
That’s the young people for ya.
The video shows JC 33 in a suit and shaking hands with the President before striding in slow-mo down the ministerial corridor wearing nothing but a navy suit, white shirt and tie. Then the action cuts to Jack, minus his jacket and tie, executing a basketball shot and the cringefest finishes with him posing with his seal of office in the garden of Áras an Uachtaráin, like he’s made his confirmation.
But best of all is the soundtrack featuring the viral tune Man in Finance by Megan Boni.
She repeats “I’m looking for a man in finance, trust fund, 6ft 5in, blue eyes ...”
We fear poor Megan is barking up the wrong tree here. In January, the Minister announced on social media that he is gay.
We hope Fianna Fáil’s people didn’t steal the finance man idea from the young people in the Green Party, who used it weeks ago in an election video for Grace O’Sullivan. Unfortunately, she lost her seat.
Ticket to Tuscany
TDs and Senators received a desperate cri de coeur from Fianna Fáil backbencher Robert Troy on Thursday morning.
“Colleagues, Unfortunately, having secure (sic) two tickets for Andrea Bocelli open air concert in his hometown of Tuscany, Italy, I now can’t go. Concert is on Friday 19th July and tickets are €180 each. Let me know if interested. Best, Robert.”
The Longford-Westmeath TD’s message went out to all Oireachtas members and very many of them immediately forwarded it to us.
The concert sounds lovely. It will be in the open-air Teatro del Silenzio (Theatre of Silence, a novelty for any member of Dáil Éireann) in the town of Lajatico near Pisa.
There were some replies to Robert’s email, though no takers that we know of yet.
Independent TD Thomas Pringle responded: “Is that Tuscany, Co Westmeath or Longford?”
Fine Gael Senator from Cavan Joe O’Reilly couldn’t oblige either.
He wrote “Great follow up question, Thomas. I’m afraid I’m from Big Tom country.”
And some politicians might even have been humming one of Andrea Bocelli’s greatest hits in Robert’s vicinity.
“Time to ... say goodbye ...”
Celibate dads
On Wednesday, Senator Rónán Mullen had a lot to say during the remaining stages of the landmark Bill on surrogacy and assisted human reproduction.
He would be talking still if it hadn’t been guillotined.
“On this issue of surrogacy, the mainstream media in this country has been the dog that has not barked, and it has failed, largely speaking, to shine a light on the Government’s bizarre, cruel and perverse proposals such as the ones I have just described. The reason for that is simple. It is always easier to focus on real-life human interest stories and we have celebrities who have obtained children through celibacy,” he declared, before realising his slip of the tongue.
“Celibacy? Celibacy? Good lord,” he exclaimed.
“Surrogacy!” he shouted with a laugh.
Fine Gael’s Mary Seery Kearney interjected: “They are allowed have children as well.”
Rónán chuckled: “But of course, it does allow it, actually, through celibacy, now that you mention it. But you have this bizarre situation where high-profile people have been able and enabled to have children through surrogacy.”
Celibate dads, says Rónán.
To paraphrase that famous line from Father Ted: “I hear you’re a surrogate father now, Father.”
OWLs honoured
The Leinster House OWLs were honoured this week by Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl at a graduation ceremony in the LH 2000 complex.
Seven graduates completed the 2022-2024 Oireachtas Work Learning (OWL) programme, which is an applied learning, development and socialisation scheme for young adults with an intellectual disability.
The Houses of the Oireachtas is the first parliament in the world to host an initiative of this kind. The graduates in this year’s programme were placed across different offices in Leinster House and in various Government departments including Finance, Agriculture and Tourism, where they gained valuable work experience in multiple areas.
The Ceann, who launched the award-winning programme in 2018, told the Super Seven and their friends, families and workmates that one of the key values of the Houses of the Oireachtas is to be inclusive.
“I hope you will be happy and fulfilled as you go forward in your new roles in employment and in further education. I wish every one of you the success you clearly deserve.”
Laughing matters
Sinn Féin’s Aengus Ó Snodaigh introduced his wonderfully titled Arts (Recognition of Comedy) Bill in the Dáil on Thursday.
It’s no laughing matter, he told the House. The art of comedy has been recognised since the ancient Greeks, and comedians should be recognised for State funding along with other members of the arts community.
“We could say this is no laughing matter and make various puns. We have all watched and listened to comedians and enjoyed it. When times are dark, sometimes that’s the best form of medicine. However, unless we are willing to give them their proper due, respect and access to funding, it just makes it more difficult, especially for up-and-coming artists, to do it.”
Funnily enough, TDs and Senators who have offices in the Leinster House 2000 annex were taken aback on Wednesday when they saw a clown in full costume making his way through the building to the Fine Gael offices.
It turns out he was hired by Senator Mary Seery Kearney to entertain the children who came to Leinster House with their parents for a photocall on the surrogacy Bill.
Mary shouldn’t have wasted her money employing a clown. Plenty of them around Leinster House who would have done the job for free.
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