Micheál Martin's Neck of Toughened Platinum

I waited up until 12:35 in the a.m. to watch the Oireachtas Report. As I told you yesterday, I was done dying to know what Enda and the boys thought of Prime Time Investigates which went out on RTÉ 1 on Monday night.

There wasn’t much beef.

Finian McGrath (Ind) told Enda Kenny that lots of people were questioning whether the Government was taking the issue of the situation of carers seriously because “not one” Minister could be found to appear on Frontline on Monday May 31.

Not surprising when they can hardly be found during the day to turn up in the Dáil.

McGrath pointed out that “one class of 28 six-year-old boys, with two children with special needs and others with severe behavioural problems, has had its [Special Needs Assistant] hours reduced to three days per weeks from 9am to 11am.” Like yesterday’s top tweeter on the subject of Monday’s #rtept (RTÉ Prime Time), if any of them schools is in D4 I’ll gladly come and volunteer to help out!

But there was some good news!

Still talking to Finian McGrath, Kenny said the Government would focus on special needs and intellectual disability “as a priority” and when the “analysis of the comprehensive spending review is completed we will know the truth of the scale of the priority that can be accorded to any of these sectors”. The truth of the scale of the priority? I’m sorry, but I’ll be darned if I know what you mean by that Mr. Taoiseach.

Quote of the Dáilday: On Micheál Martin’s audacity at raising the subject of banning corporate donations to political parties, Enda quipped up “That’s not even a brass neck. That is a neck of toughened platinum from which the memory chip has been removed.”

I’m telling you lads, this stuff is better than any sitcom!

And last but not least, referring to the “shocking revelations” made on Prime Time Investigates on Monday, Enda stated “I would like to think that we could reverse all of these things overnight, but we cannot do that”. No Enda, you can only reverse other much more important things, like... “There will be no need for a second bail out in 2012”.

All I can say is thank God for that Enda. It was worth staying up after all.

PS What’s Basil Brush doing in the Dáil?