Labour and FG spark Dáil power battle

A BITTER Dáil power battle saw Tánaiste Mary Coughlan being allowed to lead an education push in America only after Labour blocked Fine Gael’s bid to ground her.

A day of extraordinary political skirmishing ended with the two likely coalition partners after the next election at logger-heads, as Labour played the patriotic card while an outmanoeuvred Fine Gael was left accusing it of allowing the Tánaiste to “run away” from Dáil questioning on the FÁS training fiasco.

The main opposition parties fought for the mantle of leading the alternative government after Labour’s Ruairí Quinn offered a Dáil pairing arrangement to the Education Minister – should a vote be held in her absence – following Enda Kenny’s refusal to do so.