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Everybody’s talking about… 

Eyebrows were raised among political correspondents this week when it emerged that the leader of the nameless political party, Lucinda Creighton, had invited only female journalists to a briefing this Friday.

Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

Creighton emailed several female journalists – including three from TheJournal.ie – on Monday, inviting them to attend an off the record breakfast briefing on her plans for a new party at a Dublin city centre venue this Friday.

Creighton maintains there is “nothing Machiavellian” about the invitation, but did note to the Irish Times that Leinster House is a pretty male-dominated environment, both in media and politics. While that is certainly the case just what exactly will a briefing for women journalists, at the expense of their male colleagues, achieve?

The agenda 

• The Cabinet meets this morning 
• 10.30am: The banking inquiry is holding a day-long private meeting ahead of its hearing with Central Bank governor Patrick Honohan tomorrow. 
• 2.30pm: The Dáil resumes after the Christmas break with questions to Defence Minister Simon Coveney. 
• 2.30pm: The Justice Committee is due to discuss the Garda Inspectorate’s damning report on crime investigation with members of the Inspectorate. 
• 4.33pm: Leaders’ Questions returns with Enda Kenny fielding queries from his opposition counterparts. 
• After 5pm: The Dáil will here statements from political leaders on the Paris attacks. 
• 7.30pm: Fianna Fáil’s private members’ business is focussed on the crisis in hospital emergency departments. 

Inside Leinster House 

It was almost sinister how positive Fine Gael TDs and Senators were after the party’s four-hour parliamentary party meeting in Dublin yesterday. Everyone was quick to spin that it had been a hugely productive day with absolutely no dissent in the ranks. “It was better than sex,” joked one over-excited deputy.

Meanwhile if you haven’t seen Enda Kenny’s jaywalking yesterday then you really should:

Video: Newstalk.com

What the others are saying… 

• Water meters may have to be replaced after just ten years of usage because of their limited lifespan, according to the Irish Examiner this morning. 
• Michael Noonan is supportive of the idea of a European debt conference after the Greek general election later this month, the Irish Times reports. 
• Tánaiste Joan Burton is set to lose her Dáil seat with only five Labour TDs assured of re-election based on the party’s current poll rating, according to an analysis in the Irish Independent.                
• Fine Gael senator Catherine Noone has told The Herald that the MMA Ultimate Fighting Championship should be banned from coming to Dublin.       

In case you missed it

• Fine Gael had the best meeting ever and is “done apologising”
• Sinn Féin would have left the peace talks without the controversial ‘on the run’ letters.
• Gerry Adams and Micheál Martin are preparing for government, but not with each other.
• We sussed out which independent TDs are going to join the alliance of independents.
  
• Micheál Martin doesn’t think ‘Charlie’ will do Fianna Fáil any harm.
• The Mayor of Limerick apologised for parking in a disabled space.

On the Twitter machine… 

The big question:

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