Bertie gets dressing down for crime of fashion

THE Taoiseach yesterday defended his single greatest sartorial crime — the decision to wear those yellow trousers at the G8 summit.

In ebullient form after declaring victory in the elections, despite only getting a draw, Enda Kenny and Pat Rabbitte honed in on Mr Ahern's embarrassment, which was arguably responsible for reaping a backlash from the voters.

Chastened and chastised from his experiences, the Fianna Fáil leader stood by his decision to wear those yellow trousers at the summit in Savannah, Georgia, last week, irrespective of the consequences.

"I had to put a bit of colour into the place," Mr Ahern said as he came in for sustained criticism from the opposition leaders for his fashion crimes.

Magnanimous in their victory, the alternative Government leaders laid in with heavy tackles aimed at the inside leg.

"The Taoiseach recently returned from the G8 Summit, at which his sartorial choice generated more publicity than the economic proposals made at the meeting," Mr Kenny said.

Joining in the assault, Mr Rabbitte suggested that Mr Ahern's dapper choice of attire would assist in his recollection of key occasions at tribunal appearances in the future.

"If the Taoiseach wears the suit he wore at the G8 Summit he should have no problem," he said.

Caught with his pants down by the voters in the local and European elections, Mr Ahern was in no mood to take his beating. Rallying against suggestions his leadership had gone out of fashion, he toned down the Fine Gael celebrations by pointing out that leading opposition party had remained stagnant.

"If my party had spent about 15 years in opposition, I would certainly not consider it a great victory" the Taoiseach said.

Grinning from ear to ear after his the winning performances of his countymen, Enda Kenny and Jim Higgins, in the elections, Fine Gael's Michael Ring was in resurgent form.

"The Taoiseach is worse than Tommy Lyons, the Dublin manager," he said.

Speaking of the Dubs, Bertie Ahern was still all on for the business dispatching the culchies from the capital commonly known as decentralisation stating there was a fine precedent just down the road from his own backyard.

"The Central Fisheries Board were on the banks of the Tolka for years protecting the pinkeens," he said colloquially.

Sitting alongside the Taoiseach was a line of lieutenants likely to figure in the shake-up brought about by the shaking from the voters.

All in uncharacteristically sombre mood, Minister for Social Welfare Cuts, Mary Coughlan, Minister for Waste, Martin Cullen and the future Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, were later joined by Minister for Antiquated Schools Noel Dempsey, Minister for the Smoking Ban Micheál Martin and the Minister for Banning Brian Crowley travelling around Munster, John O'Donoghue.

Less robust than usual, the Fianna Fáil backbenches were also quiet as a small string of TDs watched their political prospects wane away in front of their eyes.

Judging by their pale complexions, some of them could have done with The Boss wearing his infamous pants to bring a bit of colour to the place and a smile to their faces.