Laffoy resignation overshadows Cabinet’s return

Political Editor, Laois

The summer had been almost as sunny for Fianna Fáil and the PDs as it had been for the rest of us. There had been no major storms other than the three-day blows that Bertie Ahern (with the wedding) and Martin Cullen (the smoking ban) got caught in.

So the Cabinet’s first meeting was going to be deeply, deeply uncontroversial. And when the agenda became known, it also became clear that it would be deeply, deeply uninteresting. The Cabinet would be discussing its approach to Ireland’s six-month presidency of the EU which begins in January. Yep, it is very worthy. But in terms of grabbing you by the scruff of the neck, it’s up there with Open University Applied Maths on the BBC circa 1974.