Brian Lenihan RIP

“It’s part of the Lenihan DNA” - that is what I was always told when I questioned why Brian Lenihan contested the last general election despite his cancer diagnosis.

It was a mark of the man that despite the massive uphill struggle he was going through with his cancer battle that he insisted that life continue as normal.

And politics was in his blood.

Any other person, when dealt a devastating diagnosis like Lenihan was, would have retired to enjoy what they had left of their lives.

But not Brian Lenihan - because ‘it was part of the Lenihan DNA’.

The famous Lenihan DNA was carved out by Brian’s father, Brian Snr, who publicly suffered through his own health demons as a Minister.

Brian Jnr was no different - he had a job to do and cancer was not going to stop him.

Behind all of the politics, Brian Lenihan was an inherently nice and decent guy.

He had a few words for everyone and while he might be rushing here and there, he became a master in walking and talking.

In the last Government, he was given the nickname ‘Brainy Lenihan’ because of his massive intellect and his ability to read into a brief in no time.

But that intellect carried into his personal persona too - he was charming company, funny, witty and warm. People gravitated towards him, they wanted to be part of whatever the conversation was.

His time as Minister for Children has been lauded by Childrens’ Rights advocates as a turning point.

During his five years in that post, he was responsible for the creation of the Office of the Minister for Children, the appointment of Ireland’s first Ombudsman for Children, the commencement of the National Longitudinal Survey, rigorous and serious engagement with the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child process and reforms in the areas of youth justice and early years education to name but a few.

His time as Minister for Justice was brief - but it was something he relished. The law was part and parcel of his make up and he enjoyed getting stuck into this portfolio.

His promotion by former Taoiseach Brian Cowen to the Department of Finance in May 2008 was a huge leap - but by no means an impossible leap - for Brian Lenihan.

He was taking over a poisoned chalice and a chalice that would shape his legacy.

The economy was going down the toilet and of the entire Fianna Fail team, Lenihan was the best equipped to try and steer the ship to some level of safety.

History will, no doubt, judge his role in Ireland’s economic crisis. But Brian Lenihan would want for nothing less.

He put his country ahead of his personal well-being at a time of huge suffering.

He was a true patriot - it is part of his DNA.

Fillet of Leo and a slice of humble pie please?

Smackdown - that is the only word that can be used to describe Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s treatment of Minister for Loose Lips Leo Varadkar after he scared the living bejasus out of the Government at the weekend.

Leo has always been his own man - he had unique views on Bertie Ahern and he even had his own unique views on the late Dr Garret FitzGerald.

But his comments to the Sunday Times newspaper that Ireland would need a second bailout did not go down well - with anyone, well except for Independent TD Mick Wallace who congratulated Varadkar on his honesty!

In fact he received two other pats on the back by economic luminaries such as Independent TD Shane Ross and economic expert Constantin Gurdgiev.

Varadkar’s comments were picked up by 2,200 media outlets around the world, putting Ireland’s economic recovery in peril according to Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin.

“The problem is,” Martin said, “that loose talk costs jobs.”

Needless to say, there was no sign of Varadkar in the Dail chamber when his views were being filleted by the opposition. Maybe he was recovering from the fillet of Enda he received earlier at the Cabinet meeting for his ‘loose talk’.

Anyway, Enda has adopted his tough man approach and has spoken to all of his Ministers - telling them, no doubt, to tow the party line...... or else!

Cracks in the coalition?

It was only a matter of time that the small hairline cracks would start appearing in the shiny-happy Fine Gael/Labour coalition.

But like with all hairline cracks, they must be treated and dealt with immediately for fear of more long term, permanent damage.

Richard Bruton’s plans to tackle wage setting mechanisms has proven to be a fault line in the relationship.

He had no sooner announced his proposals than Labour back bench TDs went down his neck over it.

One of the most vocal was Dublin South East Labour TD Kevin Humphries who said that Bruton should be focusing his attentions on the fees paid to lawyers and doctors rather than to the low paid.

So what did Tanaiste and Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore make of this dissent among his party ranks?

Not too much, if truth be told. He is of the view that every backbencher is entitled to voice their opinion in a democratic society.

Time to call the plasterer - there could be many more cracks surfacing
on the horizon yet.

RTE scoops the Irish Times!

Well done to the crew from RTE’s Week in Politics who have managed to scoop the Irish Times by bringing out their own election book, which was launched this week by Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

Up to now, the Irish Times had the monopoly on election books with their excellent Nealon’s Guide to the successive Dails.

But RTE pipped the so-called ‘paper of record’ to the post with their own guide to the last election and the new Dail.

Edited by Deirdre McCarthy and featuring contributions by all the political staff of RTE - including Sean O’Rourke, Micheal Lehane, Brian Dowling, David McCullagh and David Davin-Power among others - it is a virtual encyclopaedia for any political anorak.

Featuring plenty of graphs and questions and answers with all TDs, it is a great read and an even better reference book.

Well done to all involved.

Kenny is on a Losing Streak with journos!

Who knew that Taoiseach Enda Kenny was such a fan of Winning Streak presenter Kathryn Thomas - or maybe it is just his back room team that are fans?

Well in any case, the presence of the RTE presenter INSIDE the Taoiseach's office during a courtesy call by the Queen last week was certainly called into question at a Political Correspondents briefing this week.

To say noses were out of joint would be an understatement - and rightfully so.

All journalists had to fight to secure a place in the different pools to cover all aspects of the Queen's visit. When she visited Government Buildings last week, the hacks that cover the Taoiseach day in, day out, were left standing outside waiting for a glimpse of our new best friend.

However, inside the Taoiseach's office, was Thomas who told the nation she was walking her dog when she got a call from Government Press Secretary Feargal Purcell telling her to be in Government Buildings within an hour.

So why the special treatment for someone who isn't even a working news journalist?

Enda and his team may have had a Winning Streak with the back-to-back VIP visits, but that has turned into a Losing Streak as far as media relations go.

Amid all the celebrations in Moneygall, one man cut a sorry figure.

Behind the crowds of people who lined the main street to greet US President Obama skulked one man in an overcoat.

That man was none other than former Taoiseach Brian Cowen.

But let us not forget that it was Brian Cowen who was the first politician to invite president Obama to Ireland.

And he is also the man credited with coining the Irish phrase 'Is feidir linn'.

So in that respect, he has done the State some service!

'Rich Boy' Barrett's own goal.

Richard 'Rich Boy' Boyd Barrett really should have known better when he appeared on a Late Late Show panel discussion last Friday night on the Queen's visit to Ireland.

While the rest of the country was enjoying the glow of the historic and successful visit, Boyband Barrett was having none of it.

He wasn't gushing in his praise for the English Monarch's visit - he is entitled to his opinion - but he did say he wouldn't have a problem of she wanted to come to Ireland 'on a private fishing trip'!!

Did he learn anything at all with his expensive private education? Did he not realise that Prince Philip's uncle, Louis Mountbatten, was murdered by the IRA during a private fishing visit to Ireland?

It was an own-goal by Boyband Barrett and his comment, as Ryan Tubridy said, was 'very unfortunate'.

Looking Up to Obama?

It was a week of firsts for Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore - meeting the Queen and meeting US President Barack Obama.

On his first impressions of the the US President, Mr Gilmore said: " I actually thought he would be taller!"

Tá Gerry ag Speaking as Jaeilge again!!

A new language has been introduced in Leinster House. It is keeping a lot of people on their feet just trying to get to the bottom of it and we have Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams to thank for it.

The new language is being called Jaeilge and seems to be the first language of Gerry Adams.

The new language, which is learned in the Jailteacht, has its roots in Irish and English but even experts in both languages have difficulties figuring out exactly what Adams is saying.

Political prisoners, who had lots of time to learn, often became fluent in Irish behind bars in prison – or the Jailteacht, as it is referred to.

Adams has a habit of speaking in both Jaeilge and English while on the floor of the Dail. He can be very easy to understand but purists of the Irish language are cringing with embarrassment.

One expert pointed out that Adams constantly mixes up his tenses, past, present and conditional – when speaking.

“He was speaking in the Dail the other day about having debates in Irish and I honestly could not understand a word he was saying,” one fluent Irish speaker said.

Adams’ Irish may be remedial to the ears of experts but how is he on understanding what others are saying to him in the native tongue?

Quite good, in fact. And sure, if he runs into any translation problems, his colleague and fluent Irish speaker Aengus O Snodaigh is always sitting behind him ready to provide a quick translation!!

Quick off the Merc

So the Ministerial Mercs have disappeared from the car park of Leinster House and instead are being replaced with a variety of makes and models of Ministerial transport.

The switch over to civilian drivers hasn’t changed much – in fact, many of the original Gardai drivers have simply retired from the Force to take up full time jobs with the Ministers.

And just to prove the current batch of Ministers are keeping it real when it comes to austerity, many are being driven around in a range of 07 cars.

A Right Royal I-Do

Congratulations to Irish politics’ first Royal Couple – Fine Gael’s Lucinda Creighton and Senator Paul Bradford – who have tied the knot.

The couple (pictured far left) chose the day of the Royal Wedding to celebrate their nuptials and it marked the end of a very busy week for the pair of them.

As a nice wedding present, Paul Bradford was re-elected to the Seanad just before he said ‘I Do’.

Naoto Bad Idea At All!!

Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan will not accept his wages as Premier until the crisis at the tsunami-hit Fukushima nuclear plant is over.

He is doing this because he believes the government bears a great responsibility for the nuclear accident as it has pursued a nuclear energy policy.

Any chance of our politicians giving up their wages until the economic crisis is over? After all, they bear a responsibility for what has happened, along with many others.