The Irish Independent's View: TDs take a break but big challenges await when they return to Dáil
But if government TDs had been hoping to get out through the gap and into the wide blue yonder without too much fuss, they had another thing coming. No amount of factor 50 would have saved them from the scorching that the opposition had prepared.
They were accused of being 'epic wasters' by Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore. The Coalition splashed the cash to buy votes last year, but now is saying once-off payments are a bad idea. She claimed public spending is up 50pc in a few short years.
Ireland has, she said, 'a housing crisis, record homelessness, threadbare disability services, a cost-of-living crisis and energy and water infrastructure that is crumbling'.
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín also said people around the country will look to mark the Government's 'report card' on the Dáil's last day. The 10,000 homes promised by the Government 'never materialised', he said, adding that the only thing that is more affordable at the moment is cocaine.
'Criminals are doing a better job in creating a functional market for an illegal drug than you are in terms of housing,' Mr Tóibín said.
We will get through this one too
Tánaiste Simon Harris hit back, saying the county has reached record levels of employment and an economy that's running budget surpluses. But speaking on RTÉ, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said it was important to be honest. The impact on job creation and levels of employment within the economy would be worse if Donald Trump imposes 30pc tariffs.
'This is a big challenge, we need to have a moment of recognition of that, but we have faced challenges before and we will get through this one too,' he said.
Mr Donohoe has had to maintain a fine line between being upbeat or unduly pessimistic, but he is right to remind us that we have come through adversity before and emerged the stronger.
All indicators suggest that by the time the Dáil recess ends, we may once again be facing a tough road ahead. But as pointed out by Pythagoras – the man who developed the theory of proportions – 'in this theatre of man's life, it is reserved only for God and angels to be lookers-on'.
However, coping with Mr Trump's capriciousness would tax the energies of Hercules. He even managed to take the fizz out of the world's most famous brand, Coca-Cola, with his announcement that it was going to sweeten its signature drink with cane sugar in the US. Caught on the hop, a statement said it 'appreciated Mr Trump's enthusiasm' and that 'more details will follow'.
But – just like governments around the world – the soft-drinks firm was clearly clueless, trying to put a brave face on it, pondering if it is 'the real thing'.
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