{"id":200866,"date":"2025-11-26T08:28:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-26T08:28:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/200866\/"},"modified":"2025-11-26T08:28:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T08:28:08","slug":"mystery-of-the-missing-micheal-leaves-opposition-leaders-stuck-with-understudy-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/200866\/","title":{"rendered":"Mystery of the missing Miche\u00e1l leaves Opposition leaders stuck with understudy \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wherever he was, Miche\u00e1l Martin\u2019s ears must have been burning.<\/p>\n

It was 2pm on a Tuesday afternoon and he should have been in the D\u00e1il for Leaders\u2019 Questions. But he wasn\u2019t there. <\/p>\n

Mary Lou McDonald and Ivana Bacik were extremely disappointed when they entered the chamber and saw Darragh O\u2019Brien in the spot where the Taoiseach should have been. <\/p>\n

The leader of Sinn F\u00e9in and the leader of the Labour Party soon made it clear they had been expecting to see the organ grinder, not another one of his ministerial monkeys. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s happening all the time now.<\/p>\n

Just as well Darragh doesn\u2019t have any self-esteem issues. Those of a more fragile disposition might have been crushed by such a tepid reception. <\/p>\n

The Minister for Transport told the House he was just back from \u201cThe Kop\u201d. We didn\u2019t know he was a Liverpool fan. <\/p>\n

Apparently Miche\u00e1l was there with him too, which sounds like a nice bonding session for the lads. <\/p>\n

Apologies. Darragh and Miche\u00e1l attended the Cop30 conference, which was not held in Anfield but in Brazil. <\/p>\n

Darragh got back to Ireland a few days ago but Miche\u00e1l was missing in action on Tuesday. It might have been do with the malaria tablets he may have been on for his trip to South and East Africa, which might have triggered confusion.<\/p>\n

Because nobody seemed to know where he was.<\/p>\n

Independent Ireland\u2019s Ken O\u2019Flynn was particularly interested in this line of inquiry, noting during Questions on Policy that the Taoiseach has travelled abroad on 20 occasions in the last 10 months. <\/p>\n

\u201cHave Government Ministers, on any of their events that they\u2019ve gone across the country for, or out of the country for, been in receipt of Lariam at any stage or was there a different drug prescribed for the Government Ministers?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a joke,\u201d groaned understudy Darragh.<\/p>\n

Ken posed this unusual question after asking when the Government first become aware that the anti-malaria drug Lariam was associated with adverse side effects and if the drug was issued to all ranks in the Defence Forces. <\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose each Minister travels \u2013 and again, a head of government has to attend international events. In relation to what medication different Ministers used \u2013 I\u2019ve no idea. That\u2019s a matter for those particular Ministers,\u201d replied Darragh, a bit fed up with all this talk about the missing Miche\u00e1l by people who clearly didn\u2019t see him as much of a draw.<\/p>\n

Not only that, but he got a bouncy Brazilian blow-dry for his big moment taking Leaders\u2019 Questions, so his hair looked lovely. Not that anyone cared. <\/p>\n

When she saw him in the prime spot at the start of business, the first words out of Mary Lou McDonald\u2019s mouth were: \u201cC\u00e1 bhfuil An Taoiseach?\u201d<\/p>\n

Where was he? The Sinn F\u00e9in leader said she \u201cunderstood\u201d that Miche\u00e1l Martin was back in the country. \u201cHe should be here, taking questions.\u201d <\/p>\n

The Labour leader was also missing him.<\/p>\n

\u201cT\u00e1 An Taoiseach as l\u00e1thair, it seems,\u201d said Ivana Bacik to his latest stand-in, before softening the blow with a little sarcasm. <\/p>\n

\n

It\u2019s Leaders\u2019 Questions, not Aspiring Leaders\u2019 Questions<\/p>\n

\u2014 \u00a0Sinn F\u00e9in\u2019s Conor D McGuinness<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cNice surprise to see you today,\u201d she added in the welcoming tones of someone opening the back door to find the cat has left a surprise on the doorstep.<\/p>\n

The Minister for Transport had to defend his leader against these insinuations that he was off on some sort of a frolic when he should be doing his job at home in the national parliament. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s on Government business. He was at the G20 summit.\u201d <\/p>\n

But that was a few days ago and word was that the Taoiseach would be home by late morning in time to take Leaders\u2019 Questions as normal. <\/p>\n

Ivana protested that the Opposition wasn\u2019t notified that he would be absent. <\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, excuse me for a second,\u201d insisted Darragh. \u201cShould he not go to that as head of the Irish Government? Should he not go [on] to the EU-African Union summit?\u201d<\/p>\n

That was neither here nor there now. <\/p>\n

\u201cIs he in Dublin?\u201d asked Sinn F\u00e9in\u2019s Louise O\u2019Reilly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere is he now?\u201d demanded her colleague, P\u00e1draig Mac Lochlainn. <\/p>\n

Darragh turned the tables and focused on their leader, Mary Lou. If Miche\u00e1l was in Africa, where had she been?<\/p>\n

\u201cI know you\u2019re just back from New York as well, right? But he was actually on Government business while your party are fundraising over there, filling the Sinn F\u00e9in bag full of cash.\u201d<\/p>\n

Deputy McDonald shook her head and laughed. <\/p>\n

\u201cBut I\u2019m here!\u201d<\/p>\n

Through the roaring and shouting, Ivana complained that all the Opposition wants is some \u201cnotification\u201d on whether or not the Taoiseach will be in attendance. <\/p>\n

\"MinisterMinister for Transport Darragh O\u2019Brien. Photograph: Alan Betson<\/p>\n

Or, presumably, whether or not he will be lumbering them with Darragh O\u2019Brien or any other mere Minister. In which case they could send in a couple of minions as substitutes.<\/p>\n

Sinn F\u00e9in\u2019s Conor D McGuinness joined the chorus of protest. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s Leaders\u2019 Questions, not Aspiring Leaders\u2019 Questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nobody is saying that a taoiseach can\u2019t travel abroad on State business, explained the Labour leader. \u201cBut we had understood he would be here today and it is a common courtesy that we would be notified in advance of Leaders\u2019 Questions when he is not taking them.\u201d<\/p>\n

They were taking this turn of events very hard. Quite gratifying for him, in a way.<\/p>\n

Later, Mary Lou couldn\u2019t resist returning to the mystery of the missing Miche\u00e1l after the House voted to accept the Order of Business for the week and Questions on Policy came around.<\/p>\n

\u201cCeann Comhairle, the Minister might clarify the precise location of the Taoiseach, when he gets to his feet,\u201d she began. <\/p>\n

Darragh thanked her again for her concern and repeated it is not in the least bit unusual for a head of Government to attend international events abroad. <\/p>\n

[\u00a0\u2018This is ridiculous\u2019: Taoiseach defends his level of foreign travel during trip to AngolaOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

By now, even we were beginning to worry. <\/p>\n

Was Miche\u00e1l lost? Was it something to do with Ken\u2019s malaria tablets? What could it be, because the Opposition seemed united in its view that the Taoiseach had gone AWOL.<\/p>\n

Finally, some clarity from his stand-in.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s travelling back as we speak.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s still away now?\u201d gasped Mary Lou. <\/p>\n

At least he had been found.<\/p>\n

It was around 3pm at this stage. Miche\u00e1l was actually home and travelling back from the airport to Government Buildings. <\/p>\n

But he couldn\u2019t make it into the chamber for even a brief appearance because he had to head straight into his office for a conference call with the coalition of the willing (the group of 33 countries that have pledged support for Ukraine), which went on until 5pm. <\/p>\n

Still. At least the Taoiseach is back and they all can tell him on Wednesday how much they missed him. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Wherever he was, Miche\u00e1l Martin\u2019s ears must have been burning. It was 2pm on a Tuesday afternoon and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":165790,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[9,10,4767,13,14,6,11,12,15,16,55915,5,4766,7,8,65,66,67],"class_list":{"0":"post-200866","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world","8":"tag-breaking-news","9":"tag-breakingnews","10":"tag-dail-eireann","11":"tag-featured-news","12":"tag-featurednews","13":"tag-headlines","14":"tag-latest-news","15":"tag-latestnews","16":"tag-main-news","17":"tag-mainnews","18":"tag-miriam-lord","19":"tag-news","20":"tag-oireachtas","21":"tag-top-stories","22":"tag-topstories","23":"tag-world","24":"tag-world-news","25":"tag-worldnews"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/115615059699731894","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200866","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=200866"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200866\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/165790"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=200866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=200866"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=200866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}