Daniel McConnell: Martin hangs on the line as Simon Coveney text debacle rumbles on

Taoiseach is boxed in by Coveney's baffling twists and turns — and the fact that he can't call for the heads of non-FF ministers

Ahead of Fianna Fáil's think-in, Micheál Martin is hemmed in by Varadkar's Piglet text dump, Simon Coveney's strange chops and changes to his story, and the fact that the Taoiseach can't say boo to non-FF ministers for fear of collapsing the Coalition. File picture: Julien Behal

Many people who know Micheál Martin say he despises the normal petty day-to-day squabbles that are a feature of political life in Ireland.

He tends to dismiss such controversies as distractions to the greater purpose of bigger, loftier issues.