Happy new year!
Better late than never, but we are back on Leinster House time now so it makes sense.
On the first day of business after the Christmas break, there wasn’t a drop of cheer to be had as the Dáil went straight into dry January.
On the happiness front, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald could see good news for the bosses of semi-State organisations now that the Government has approved big pay hikes for them. Not so much for low and middle income earners, who can only look on in envy as the cost of living continues to rise while some semi-State executives pocket pay rises equivalent to their annual salaries.
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The Sinn Féin leader listed various organisations with pay hikes coming to the top brass, ending by noting that an increase has apparently been sought for RTÉ’s director general “which would bring the salary package for that position close to €300,000”.
She could have made more of this, but the year is young.
The mention of RTÉ must have stirred memories of the Tubsgate/Montrose spending controversy for the Taoiseach because he accused Mary Lou of “flip-flopping all over the place” on her own party’s policy.
He assumed she would have supported his policy of targeting services and investment at families on the lowest income levels.
Meanwhile, Ivana Bacik opened brightly with a “happy new year” for Micheál.
The mood didn’t last.
“We are at a moment of genuine international crisis. The world is in turmoil,” said the Labour leader, wondering how the Government is going to stand up to dangerously erratic and aggressive world leaders “in an increasingly despotic landscape”.
Ivana did a quick run-through of current international flashpoints for him.
There is Russia and Vladimir Putin’s reign of terror on Ukraine. Pro-democracy protesters are being massacred by ruling zealots in Iran.
Bellicose US president Donald Trump’s “increasingly erratic, volatile and dangerous” behaviour has moved from South America to the possibility of a military takeover in Europe. He wants Greenland and says he will take it by force or otherwise.
What does Micheál intend to do about this?
In fairness to the Taoiseach, he has just returned from an official visit to China, so he might have picked up a few tips.
As this is a time of optimism and new beginnings – first day back in 2026 and all that – Micheál tried to lighten the mood.
He wished Ivana a reciprocal happy new year.
Then he said we’ll be dead by 2027. Or words to that effect.
The Taoiseach agreed that the world is in a state of chassis.
“Unfortunately, the international rules-based order has not been in a position ... to restrain some of these very authoritarian leaders across the world. There is a problem at the top really in terms of the authority and credibility of the international rules-based order.”
No names mentioned.
St Patrick’s Day is less than three months away.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Trump’s Big Beautiful Ballroom in the White House was completed in time for the annual shamrock ceremony?
Best say nothing in the meantime. No point in Micheál tempting fate and starting World War Three in the Oval Office.
But these are anxious times for mankind.
“I worry that we’re at a similar period to that which predated World War Two when the League of Nations’ authority was eroded,” the Taoiseach confessed to the Dáil.
“And we know what happened then.”
At least the world survived to tell the tale and, inevitably, not learn from it.
“The world got a chance after World War Two. We won’t get a chance after any confrontation that may arise if the geopolitical situation gets worse.”
World War Three.
Gulp.
But there is hope on the horizon. Ireland will host the EU presidency in July. If Micheál is still leading Fianna Fáil, he will be at the top of the pile in Europe and, as lead prime minister, he may yet feel the jackboot of history on his shoulder between a predatory Trump and the EU.
“Your Government faces a showdown between Boston and Berlin,” deputy Bacik warned him.
The Taoiseach didn’t disagree with her sobering assessment of global affairs but, for him, the “real showdown of substance” or “conflict”, as he would call it, is “Russia versus Europe”. And yet, he mused, with all that is happening around the world, “I am struck in this House that we always end up with the US as the big baddie”.
He had a point. For certain politicians in Leinster House, America has always been the Big Baddie, no matter what the circumstances.
Not an actual person.
This time, the president of the United States is going out of his way to play the Big Baddie.
We can all see it.
When authoritarianism is spreading across the world from countries such as Russia, Iran and China, we need our allies to stand with us, pointed out Ivana. But right now, “we can’t rely on the US as a functioning peaceful democracy because we are seeing Trump threatening international law and, indeed, riding roughshod over international-law principles”.
Again, the Taoiseach did not disagree with her.
Without a previously strong ally like the US to call upon, Europe is in a dangerous situation and, in six months, Ireland will be at the political helm in the EU. The Labour leader asked how we will handle the growing pressure between the EU and the “increasingly despotic US”.
Micheál fell back on diplomatic speak.
“We believe in full participation at all multilateral fora. That has always been Ireland’s position and will continue to be. We support the peaceful resolution of disputes through the multilateral frameworks without question ...”
This will be the Irish position during the presidency.
Also, he said the EU will have to strengthen its capability as it is now correct to say “that Europe cannot always rely on others”.
Otherwise known as Donald J Trump.
Not that the Taoiseach was ever going to mention any names.
Never mind the EU presidency in July. The countdown to March and St Patrick’s week in Washington has begun.
Then after that, the Taoiseach can relax and start thinking about World War Three.
