HAS the whistle been blown on Dáil hypocrisy? Within hours of publishing new laws to protect those who shine light into the dark corners of society, Finance Minister Michael Noonan was ordering a garda inquiry to hunt down those responsible for the ‘Anglo tapes’ exploding onto the public consciousness.

The wrong number dominated the Dáil yesterday: Four — the amount of Fine Gael X case rebels, when it should have been 100,000 — the amount of Irish women forced to seek a termination abroad since that judgment was made.

THOUGH singing Deutschland über Alles was a nice touch, it would be far more helpful if our notorious political/financial/useless class actually started speaking German full time.

IT was more speed hating than speed dating. Furtive glances... the anticipation — a mixture of dread and diminishing hope... people wondering who they would get and what the next few minutes would lead to.

THE fact Savita Halappanavar’s life may not have been saved by the X case legislation now going through the Dáil is testament to its stark limitations.

DO you feel stimulated? It has been an electric week in politics.

Though are just 19 of them in the Dáil now, all the Fianna Fáil TDs have a portfolio, so there is no ‘front’ bench or ‘back’ bench, just a bench — which is highly fitting, given Mr Martin’s wooden presentational style.

SO, Irish body politics has been diagnosed with severe asthma.

WELL, at least Justice Minister Alan Shatter has finally achieved something — though garnering sympathy for befuddled tax cheat, Mick Wallace, was probably not his intention.

WHILE Joan Burton is right to highlight U2’s hypocrisy on tax avoidance, the band could easily point the finger back saying: “Well, look at you, too.”