Despite their delusions, Fianna Fáil does not own the Oireachtas

MAYBE — just maybe — the country has the semblance of an opposition after all, as evinced by the climbdown by the Government on the controversial issue of electronic voting.

Despite a stubborn insistence on the part of the Government that electronic, or e-voting, was the greatest thing since democracy, they had to engage in an embarrassing admission that all wisdom does not reside in them, although they would have us believe otherwise.

In a result of a rare display of unity, Fine Gael, Labour and the Greens forced the Government to announce that substantial amendments to legislation introducing the system would have to be made, although it seems it will be in place in time for the elections in June.