Enda puts his pride — and prejudice — on display in Dáil

Micheál Martin proposed same-sex marriage to Enda Kenny on the floor of the Dáil — but the Taoiseach could just not make up his mind.

It was definitely a case of pride and prejudice as, like something out of a Jane Austen novel, Enda insisted he would not be “pressurised” into making a hasty decision of such importance

But then Enda has another man on his mind at the moment, James Reilly — the Dáil’s very own Dr Debt.

And that is not to mention his current civil partner in Government, Eamon Gilmore, who manoeuvred Kenny into this mess of the Taoiseach’s own making by insisting gay marriage equality is the “civil rights issue of this generation”.

Keen to rebrand Fianna Fáil as the oh-so-modern-and-not-at-all-as-nasty-as-we-used-to-be-party, Martin has started singing from the gay pride hymn sheet — sensing there is still lingering prejudice at the top of Government.

For despite Leo Varadkar coming out for gay marriage along with other Fine Gael ministers, in Kenny’s eyes it remains the law that dare not speak its name. The Taoiseach does everything he can to evade taking a stand on the matter, tripping over camera tripods and nearly diving into giant flowerpots in his scrambles to avoid having to give an opinion.

Kenny is currently hiding behind the 66 randomly selected members of the Constitutional Convention that will explore the matter, and will seemingly let them tell him what to think — despite Martin’s demands for an, ahem, straight yes or no to his proposal for a referendum.

“Deputy Martin will not pressurise me as a citizen or as leader of the Government into a box-ticking exercise,” Kenny announced as he appeared to endorse some sort a free-form anarcho-syndicalist administration in which all decision boxes will be left blank.

Kenny then tipped over into full ramble, feeling the need to reveal there is not two of him: “With respect to Deputy Martin and everybody else, there is only one Taoiseach at any time and I happen to speak for the Government.

“If Deputy Martin thinks he can stand up and ask my view on this, we are speaking about the Constitution and it is a matter for each individual citizen.”

Expecting a Taoiseach to have a view on a burning social issue his Tánaiste has branded a once in a generational reform? What did Martin want — leadership?

Kenny looked increasingly rattled as Independent TD Mattie McGrath asked if Gilmore had given the Taoiseach a wedding ring, and Fianna Fáil’s Timmy Dooley suggested a band for the reception — Swedish House Mafia, the group who provided the soundtrack to the weekend mayhem in Phoenix Park.

But Kenny was determined to resist Martin’s unwanted approaches as he remained devoted to Dr Debt — whom he had promised to cherish for richer (he owns a stately home) or poorer (that unfortunate consortium he’s involved with, now exposed as owing €1.9m).

Most swanky Blueshirt couples announce their engagement on the society pages, so it came as something of a shock to see Dr Debt’s incendiary presence in creditor-porn mag the Stubbs Gazette — but Kenny insisted he would stand by his man.

Fine Gael should be red with embarrassment at having the first serving Cabinet minister branded a debtor in Stubbs Gazette — but as Kenny made clear, he does not even do pink.