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Everyone’s talking about…

Many government figures have privately expressed satisfaction at the way in which things have been so quiet on the political front in the first four months of this year. Just cast your minds back to this time last year when Irish Water, justice issues, pylons and medical cards were all hugely damaging to Fine Gael and Labour’s fortunes. The polls indicate a corner was turned at the beginning of this year.

But now the Siteserv controversy threatens to undermine that progress. It’s complex, it’s still unravelling and there’s a bit more to be revealed in the coming days.

• MUST READ: What exactly is Siteserv – and why is everyone talking about it?

But you could sense the wobbles in government yesterday. Enda Kenny put in a less than assured performance at Leaders’ Questions. Then Michael Noonan, the government’s Yoda-like calming influence, had to go on the Six One News to explain things. A sure sign that all is not well.

Most people will not spend too much time trying to understand the detail of this complex controversy, but as long as it carries a whiff of rottenness it remains potentially damaging to the government which, up until now, had been having a good 2015.

The agenda

• 9.30am: The banking inquiry hears from its first former banker, ex-AIB chairman Dermot Gleeson. At 2.30pm, former AIB managing director Donal Forde is up. 
• 9.30am: Alan Kelly takes Environment questions in the Dáil. 
• 10am: The Public Accounts Committee has the HSE in to assess its procurement practices. 
• 12pm: It’s Joan Burton’s turn to take Leaders’ Questions in the Dáil. 
• An emergency EU summit is taking place in Brussels to discuss the migration crisis in the Mediterranean. 

What the others are saying

• Micheál Martin is concerned about the leak of minutes from a meeting in which former minister Mary Hanafin attacked Fianna Fáil’s performance, the Irish Independent reports. 
• Attempts by Enda Kenny to kick the proposed reduction in the bankruptcy term from three years to one into an Oireachtas committee have angered Labour backbenchers, the Irish Times reports. 

Inside Leinster House

Does this picture, from inside the Dáil chamber, break Oireachtas rules?

We checked yesterday and were told by Leinster House authorities that while there is no specific rule against taking photographs in the chamber “it wouldn’t be considered best practice”.

In case you missed it 

• AIB pledged to cut mortgage rates in a month or two. 
• The banking inquiry heard from NAMA. 
• Enda Kenny took the opportunity to launch into Gerry Adams in the Dáil.

• While Adams launched into Micheál Martin in a speech to Sinn Féin members. 

https://vine.co/v/eadEI5EtVgm

• There is a new minister for drugs.
• Gardaí insisted they ARE cooperating with the investigation into Clare Daly’s arrest. 
• And Enda and Joan were pretty happy with these orange trainers. 

On the Twitter machine

What’s happened here, Frances?

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