Another way of looking at this is to say that the challenge for any politician always is to make the right decision for the country. As a general rule, they don’t; and certainly not as their first priority, whether in government and certainly not while they’re in opposition.

At the lower rungs of the ladder the lowly backbencher may not be even aware of what the ‘right’ decisions are, much less care about what happens outside their own bailiwick. The further up the ladder they progress, doing what’s right as opposed to what’s expedient or popular may result in their getting chucked out by angry voters and no longer in a position to do right by themselves, their party or the country.

The depth of the crisis that confronted this government hasn’t left them with much choice between what they’d like to do and what they have to do. What Fianna Fail have to accept – although they don’t appear to have taken it on board yet – is that they’re heading for a right hammering in the next general election. They have nothing to lose by ‘doing the right thing’ and it might even break their fall somewhat. According to himself, Brian Lenihan expected to be the most hated politician in the country. Instead, he is probably one of the most highly respected – not because he hasn’t made errors, which he has, but because he has faced up to the magnitude of the fiscal and banking crises and done what he has said he would do to stop Ireland becoming Greece.

As you argue, Cowen blew it a long time ago. His moment came and he disappeared. Even the whole business of a reshuffle has been drawn out to the point where it’s becoming a farce. You’d be forgiven for wondering what ‘next week’s scandal’ is going to be and who’ll be up in the firing line?

I think ‘putting the country first’ must mean assigning priority to the economic ministries in this reshuffle and most definitely reassigning Mary C. to some portfolio more suited to her talents, whatever they may be. Giving a lead on the economy and on some sort of new vision for the country is what’s needed. If our current Taoiseach can’t face up to that, then an election is the only alternative.