Paul Hosford: Business as usual in the Dáil, for most people, that is
Presidential Candidate Catherine Connolly leaving Leinster House, to speak to a small group of Palestine Solidarity protesters. Picture: Sam Boal/Collins Photos
One of the lesser-known traditions in Irish political life centres on, of all things, turkey and ham.
For some time now, on big days in the Dáil — first sittings, elections of taoisigh, the budget, the month of December, that kind of thing — the Leinster House canteen will offer up, among other things, a full turkey and ham dinner.
It means that, if you are minded and able, those who work within the confines of the old house could have eaten quite a number of Christmas dinners by the time Santa has arrived.
On Wednesday, the sight of crackers and turkey greeted the lunchtime rush as the summer was officially put to bed and the Dáil returned, but the excitement of Christmas wasn't in the air.
In fact, it was all a bit subdued, with long-running problems the focus of the day.
Even the protesters who greet the dawning of a new Dáil term were there in lower numbers, meaning the ring of steel on both sides of Leinster House was somewhat unnecessary.
The opening of the Dáil proceedings did, though, bring a reminder as to their use when Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy issued a statement saying more needs to be done to tackle abuse and threats, both to politicians and members of the public.
In light of ongoing threats, it's understandable that there would be an increased security presence.
Inside the building, there was little of the crackle of anticipation around what a new Dáil term could bring and more a sense of business as usual. For most people, that is.
For Social Democrats TD Eoin Hayes, there is a new seating arrangement.
Having been readmitted to the party in July following controversy over his shareholdings in a company which provides services to the Israeli Defence Forces in their ongoing genocide in Gaza, Mr Hayes was subject to another controversy on Monday when photos emerged of him as a student in 2009 in blackface.
Having given the party's think-in a miss on Tuesday, he entered the Dáil chamber after the bulk of his party colleagues and returning leader Holly Cairns.
Perhaps understandably, Mr Hayes was confused as to where exactly his new digs were until party colleague Gary Gannon ushered him to his seat among the Social Democrats TDs for the first time.
Ms Cairns, returning for the first time since giving birth in the same week as last year's general election, was welcomed and congratulated across the board, as was junior enterprise minister Emer Higgins, who was married at the beginning of the month.
Labour leader Ivana Bacik, however, congratulated Ms Higgins's colleague Emer Currie, who did not recently celebrate nuptials.
Ms Bacik put it down to being "rusty" after the recess, though as she laid out the plethora of issues which will face the Government in this term, the scale of the challenges was laid bare.
"There is so much for the Government to do. It must build homes. It must address the suffering of all of those locked out of secure housing. It must provide basic and effective healthcare, in particular to end the agony of children waiting for vital spinal surgeries."
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald had kicked the day off on the latter point, raising the tragic case of Harvey Morrison Sheratt, who died during the summer following years of waiting for scoliosis surgery and the rise in the number of children awaiting their surgeries.
They say that while history does not repeat, it rhymes, and the issue was also the first which Ms McDonald raised this time last year as the Dáil reconvened.
At that point, Harvey's parents were in the public gallery.
Ms Cairns also took aim at the Government's record on disabilities, saying that "the harsh truth is that the only things the disabled people are guaranteed by the Government are broken promises and a waiting list".
Taoiseach Micheál Martin would attempt to counteract the arguments on disabilities and spinal surgeries and rents and deprivation, but each one is an issue which was raised multiple times in the last session of the Dáil.
This may have been the beginning of a new term, but the issues facing the Government remain.
