A healthy development?

The Irish Times seems to have good sources in Leinster House these days.  A day after the revelation of the PDs’ own version of the fateful dinner at Granita (lunch at Roly’s Bistro?), they reveal that disgruntled FF backbenchers are hoping to form a Dail equivalent of the Tories’ 1922 Committee.  Apparently the initial setup was concealed from Bertie but they are going public next week. 

TDs will receive a letter shortly after lunchtime today asking them to attend a meeting in the Fianna Fáil rooms in Leinster House next Tuesday at 8.30pm.

The letter has so far been signed by Sligo Leitrim TD Jimmy Devins, Dublin North West TD Pat Carey, Laois Offaly’s John Maloney, Dún Laoghaire’s Barry Andrews, Meath’s Johnny Brady, Carlow Kilkenny TD John McGuinness, Cork North Central TD Noel O’Flynn, Cork North West’s Michael Moynihan, Donegal North East’s Cecelia Keaveney and Dublin North’s Jim Glennon.

The committee is being established following mounting annoyance about the conduct of parliamentary party meetings during the life of the present Government.

There are clearly two distinct but related grievances: the relative strength of the PDs in the coalition, and the increased reliance on Cabinet government where consultations with the Dail are an afterthought.  Even the high proportion of ministerial slots compared to total number of TDs leaves quite a few disgruntled people on the outside looking in.  To the extent that this group manages to swing the government’s orientation back towards the Dail as an institution, more luck to them.

UPDATE: As of Saturday, the meeting is off and Bertie seems to be trying to mollify the critics.