The Taoiseach let fly at Sinn Féin on Tuesday afternoon for saying his Government has not taken a strong enough stand against Donald Trump while he “tears to bits international law”.
“It would be fair to say that the world is not exactly where we would want it to be,” remarked Ruairí Ó Murchú, one of the party’s two TDs for Louth, during questions on international matters.
He listed big global conflicts and the outrageous Trump-sanctioned raid on Venezuela’s authoritarian president and his removal to New York to stand trial on drugs charges.
“Whatever people’s view of president Maduro, nobody can stand up and state that America has the right to remove whichever leaders it doesn’t like,” said Ruairí, reasonably enough.
“This State has not been sufficiently strong in its reaction.” He thought the EU’s response was “particularly weak” too.
Earlier in the day, his colleague Matt Carthy was out defending the party’s attendance at the inauguration of the despotic Nicolás Maduro six years ago.
“It was in 2019, so obviously, circumstances were very different”.
Back in the Dáil, Micheál Martin agreed that the world is not in a good place with the “multilateral order” under threat while too many regimes “have carried on regardless”.
He pointed to Sinn Féin’s “chequered record” in this regard, having endorsed Maduro’s discredited election and attended his inauguration.
Deputy Ó Murchú and his colleagues were highly affronted.
The Taoiseach was highly exercised.
Having just been lectured by them about human rights, he suggested that maybe they should show “a bit of consistency” when pronouncing on the subject.
“You have a really dodgy track record in supporting very dodgy leaders over the years … across that hemisphere,” he said.
“So maybe a small bit of humility on your side now in terms of lecturing other people about geopolitics might not go amiss. Because you’re the most self-righteous bunch I’ve ever come across at times in your pontificating about human rights and a whole lot of other things.
“You guys showed scant regard for human rights when practised by rulers and authoritarian leaders that you were friendly with and shared expertise with.”
The following day, Micheál was missing when Leaders’ Questions came around at midday.
But this isn’t Venezuela (or Trump World).
He bustled down the chamber steps, all smiles at the waiting Mary Lou McDonald and her colleagues, explaining he held back to allow Michael Collins of Independent Ireland finish his passionate speech about water.
Labour’s Ged Nash gestured across to the Government front bench where Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan, seen as a possible successor to Micheál, was seated.
“I thought Jim would step in there.”
To which Louise O’Reilly, perhaps mindful of Micheál’s bruising remarks the day before, drily reposted: “Fill a vacuum.”
Zootopia
Well done to the officials from the Department of Agriculture for keeping relatively straight faces during Wednesday’s meeting of the Committee on Agriculture and Food.
The important issue of biosecurity was discussed, with everything from bluetongue in sheep to ash dieback, biting midges and noxious weeds getting an airing.
The department’s vets were well drilled in their area but they didn’t have much to say on the subject of erotic animals, which was raised by Independent Ireland’s Michael Fitzmaurice.
He said you can go on certain websites and buy “nearly everything from a snake to a different bird to a crocodile or whatever”. Why can’t they just be confined to zoos?
“Mink were let out in this country and we can see the torture they’re causing us now.”
Michael said there are places where the department “is letting in these erotic animals or whatever you call them and then people get fed up with them and let them off. We’re looking for trouble.
“If you want to look at something erotic in an animal, why don’t you go to the zoo?”
His independent Ireland colleague, Ken O’Flynn, also had people stifling the giggles this week when he had a Danny Healy-Rae phone malfunction moment during statements on AI.
Some carry-on
The Taoiseach and Tánaiste are just back from visits to erotic places.
Micheál Martin was in China for five days and Simon Harris was in California for three.
Simon was “on an official visit” to the Golden State to meet politicians and business leaders, particularly those in the tech, pharma and healthcare sectors. He had a meeting with the state governor and Trump needler-in-chief, Gavin Newsom.
Newsom is being touted as a presidential contender for the Democrats in 2028.
On Tuesday, the two had “a warm and constructive discussion on a variety of key issues”.
The photos looked nice. Harris and Newsom, with their swept-back hair and greying temples, were like a pair of silver-tinged devils.
The Tánaiste’s people were over the moon after the visit. The governor posted on Instagram about how he was thrilled to meet the Irish deputy PM and discuss California’s economic partnership with “the Emerald Isle”.
All well and good, but that’s not why they were over the moon.
It’s because movie star Sharon Stone endorsed the visit, liking the post with applause and smiling heart-eyes emojis.
They’re still talking about it.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Chinese president Xi Jinping in Beijing. Photograph: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Meanwhile, the Taoiseach had a big social media moment when he went on his official visit to China.
The last time Micheál went on a trip to China, his luggage didn’t arrive with him. This time, his hand luggage made the news.
Chinese TikTok was quite taken by the “frugal” Irish leader. Some posts about the trip got more than 300,000 likes.
Many commenters were surprised to see that he was carrying his own bag – a very nice soft leather briefcase bought in a shop in Cork – when he stepped from the plane.
Here’s a sample of the comments:
“Carry your own bag? That’s ridiculous.”
“He’s supposed to be the prime minister, so why is he carrying his own bag? And taking the shuttle bus? What about Ireland’s national image?”
“Am I seeing things? Is this a regular commercial flight or Emirates Airlines?”
“The prime minister arrived by regular plane [laughing emoji].”
“I’ve always had a good impression of Ireland.”
“He actually carried his own bag …”
“Very approachable.”
Tippling point
Three cheers for the EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas.
None of this navel-gazing Dry January malarkey for her.
As high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, she is the EU’s top diplomat – a tough assignment in these troubling times. Kallas is also European Commission vice-president and she was the first woman prime minister of Estonia.
During a recent meeting with political group leaders in the European Parliament, she confided that now might be a “good moment” to “start drinking”, given the parlous state of global affairs.
[ EU leaders cautious over Venezuela amid fears of losing Trump on UkraineOpens in new window ]
According to Politico Brussels, the members of the conference of leaders were exchanging new year greetings while gloomily noting that there was little to be happy about. The meeting took place around the same time as foreign ministers from Greenland and Denmark were meeting US vice-president JD Vance and secretary of state Marco Rubio over Washington’s interest in acquiring the Arctic territory.
EU high representative for foreign affairs Kaja Kallas in Brussels on Wednesday. Photograph: Olivier Hoslet/EPA
Given the unsettling international developments, Kallas remarked that while she “isn’t much of a drinker”, now might be a good time to start.
Hic Hic Hooray!
The chaos in the world is enough to drive anyone to the drink. Except Donald Trump, who has started a lot of it. He never touches anything stronger than Diet Coke.
Balázs Orbán, who is the political director of Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán (no relation), has called on Kallas to resign.
No surprise there.
The boss is back
Micheál Martin was hardly a wet day back from China when he started a crackdown on displays of insubordination in the parliamentary party ranks.
Members of his growing awkward squad gave him a torrid time in the wake of the Jim Gavin presidential election debacle. The Taoiseach took his medicine initially, but grew increasingly impatient with his critics as his punishment period dragged on until Christmas.
One meeting in the aftermath of the implosion of his handpicked candidate dragged on for over five hours.
This week, the Supreme Leader decided to move the weekly parliamentary party meeting from Wednesday night to an earlier starting time on Tuesday evening.
Disgruntled TDs and Senators with axes to grind will have to turn up for a 5.30pm kick-off in the party rooms when they should be scraping knives and forks at the teatime fry-up in the canteen. And it’s too early for a pre-theatre drink.
Worst still, the boss has imposed a strict two-hour cap on the running time.
Sure that’s not a meeting at all.
Some people will not be happy.
But the media moles who monitor the “private” discussions will be delighted with the early finish.
And Micheál’s ears will be thanking him. If the plan works.
Real estate role
Congratulations to former government press secretary Mandy Johnston, who has been appointed chief executive of Irish Institutional Property (IIP).
IIP represents the institutional investors – the big bucks and big hitters in Ireland’s real estate market.
She takes over from Pat Farrell – a former general secretary of Fianna Fáil among many things – in April.
Mandy is currently chief executive of Blue Yard Consultancy – a public affairs and strategic advisory firm she founded in 2017.
Before that, she was CEO of the Irish Offshore Operators’ Association, banging the drum for the offshore oil and gas industry.
Announcing her appointment, IIP said she takes over “at a critical time for Ireland’s real estate sector, as housing delivery, infrastructure investment and sustainable development remain central challenges for policymakers and society”.
Chairman Peter Collins said “the breadth and depth of experience and leadership she brings will be very important in IIP’s ongoing engagement with Government and other key stakeholders”.