The Dáil resumes - Sad day that will foster real cynicism

HEAVY indeed is the head that wears the crown, especially when there is such turmoil, discontent and growing unemployment across the land. Especially as there was an expectation that the resumption of our parliamentary process, the public part of it anyway, might afford politicians an opportunity to indicate how they intend to confront the issues challenging us all.

Especially as it was an opportunity to express understanding of the depth of concern felt by people worried about the near-collapse of the market economy, job security in the face of daily closures, devalued savings por investments, wilting business prospects, pillaged pensions, negative equity, inflation, the price of oil, the prospect of emigration or even, God forbid, Lisbon.

After an 11-week recess the Dáil has resumed and, sadly, our two main parties treated the institution with something approaching Romanov disdain.