Absent Opposition gives Coalition little option but to debate with itself

There have been fears in the Dβil for some time that this could be the first Government in history to bring down the Opposition. Yesterday, the prediction appeared to have come true, as Cabinet ministers voted no confidence in the absent Fine Gael, Labour and Green parties, and proceeded to debate with themselves.

The Minister for Justice in the ruling junta, Mr O'Donoghue, began the day by regretting the lack of an opposition, but he was being sarcastic. He quoted Woodrow Wilson on how democracy "releases the energies" of a people, and suggested the members not opposite had lacked the energy to last the full term. Then he introduced the second stage of the Extradition Bill in the almost-empty chamber, the respectful silence broken only by the ticking of the press gallery clock.

With Fianna Fβil chairman Rory O'Hanlon deputising for the Ceann Comhairle, this was truly a one-party government (at least until Dessie O'Malley turned up to put in a word for the PDs). So it was slightly alarming to hear the Minister already proposing new powers of arrest and extradition for suspects who leave the jurisdiction where a crime has been committed.

The good news for democrats is that the Government has given reassurances on the issue of free speech. Indeed, it was Mr O'Donoghue's commitment to free speech for independent deputies from Donegal that contributed to the Opposition's boycott. (Come to think of it, Tom Gildea - who had apparently left the jurisdiction of Leinster House yesterday in an attempt to evade justice, or at least a former Minister for Justice - could be a target for the new extradition laws).

The other good news for democracy is that, once Mr O'Donoghue sat down, his legislation was subjected to fierce scrutiny by members of his own party. Louth TD Seamus Kirk was first up, welcoming the measures and commending the Minister for introducing them. But he was quickly followed by Billy Kelleher, John Dennehy and Ben Briscoe, who also welcomed them, and commended the Minister some more.

Mr Briscoe differed gently from Mr Kelleher on the issue of whether the Libyan leader Col Ghadafi was no longer a terrorist.

But you could tell how much Fianna Fβil was enjoying itself when Mr Kelleher spoke of how good it was that we as a people could finally have a "rational debate" about extradition.

Ironically, perhaps, it fell to Sinn FΘin to redress the democratic deficit, when Caoimhgh∅n ╙ Caolβin entered the chamber before noon to disagree with almost everything the Government said.

Suddenly, remarkably, we had a row on our hands, as he and Mr O'Malley exchanged bitter words, disturbing the calm of the Leas Ceann Comhairle's morning.

Passions didn't run high for long, however, and when the Minister for Public Enterprise opened another one-sided debate in the afternoon, a Government source joked that they could get to like the absence of an Opposition.