That Taoiseach nomination process.

Groundhog day. Noel Rock back again – as predicted by dublinstreams. Much the same being said. That election seems a long long time ago.

My God, Micheál Martin was first elected in 1989. Bloody hell. Funny juxtaposition on the opposition benches, for one of his nominees, Lisa Chambers, was seated next to Paul Murphy. It was oddly enjoyable seeing the earnest Chambers doing her best to talk up MM while a range of expressions played across Murphy’s face – bemusement, scepticism even a touch of disbelief. And rightly so!

A lovely paean of praise for Cork South West from Martin’s other nominee Margaret Murphy-O’Mahony. Who could disagree with her heavy on the Cork, light on Martin speech?

It was curious to hear Joan Burton complaining about SF shouting from the sidelines when the LP weren’t getting involved. And then it was into her stump speech. The term chutzpah came to mind listening to the women who was more than acting Tánaiste a couple of months back. What was particularly weird was her complaint at SF when she then said the LP couldn’t support candidates in the absence of an agreed programme for government. But why if that was true for the LP was it not equally so for SF? It literally makes no sense. I fear that provides an insight into the mind set of the LP.

David Cullinane used the term groundhog day too. Another interesting juxtaposition, there was Catherine Martin GP TD sitting behind him. He made a strong appeal to independents who were talking with FG and FF that the two parties wouldn’t.

Catherine Martin spoke too. Actually she was angry, very angry. “No one party won the general election… but it seems as if the people have lost. Some parties seem to refuse to accept the change the people voted for”. It’s a good line, there’s certainly a sense that the stringing out of the process is a perversion of the popular will expressed at the election. ‘The vast majority of people do not care what order Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil go in. But people care that there is a government’.

Still…

Shane Ross wandered in able to say the Independent Alliance had been in discussions for the last week or two. He noted they were getting used to ‘love bombing from FF and FG’ but they ‘won’t love bomb each other’ and that where as the parties were easily able to talk to the independents but not to each other. He demanded ‘parity of esteem’ between FF and FG.

Got to say FF in particular but FG as well may well be coming out of this very very badly. Medium sized parties pretending to be big parties. It’s not washing. And here’s an interesting dynamic. There’s only FF and FG. But there’s a lot of other groups beyond them. An awful lot and they’re singing off much the same hymn sheet.

Watching Gerry Adams berate FF and FG in much the same way – albeit emphasis on the ‘conservative’ parties – it struck me that both Martin and Kenny must realise that this is going to be the future. A procession of people who will be taking chunks out of them for the next few years – whatever happens.

You can feel some are champing at the bit to get back to the people but you’d have to wonder why.

Micheál Martin did a half decent speech, from a remarkably weak position, to try to change the narrative. Can it work? Hard to believe that it can. I half-thought Simon Coveney would announce an election, but no, we’re on to next Wednesday.

Some of the later speeches from FF were frankly weird. More stuff about FF’s right to form a minority being disrespected by FG. But wasn’t there a vote barely an hour before where MM got fewer votes than EK? It’s as if they think that by saying all this stuff it just will be accepted. Or worse they think they actually ‘won’ the election. Though interesting to hear them putting out essentially oppositional speeches – ‘two tier health services’ etc. Thankfully Mary Lou McDonald brought some refreshing sarcasm to the absurdity of all this. And then I gave up unable to listen to any more.

So. Seven days including today to get a minority government together. Seven days. It should be doable. There’s been shorter wars. But…