Fionnán Sheahan

So it's not difficult to, without any kind of doom forecasts, it's not difficult to envisage the same thing happening again.

The politicians have big problems, as Mary outlined there, in trying to stay abreast of communications.

But equally, the established representative organisations, in this case, the Irish Road Haulage Association, the IFA, the ICMSA and others,

They seem to be outflanked by more radical voices.

So they have big challenges ahead of them also.

So are they gone too soft?

Is that what you're saying?

Well, the argument from the streets, from the barriers and the blockades was, yes, the representative organisations...

are compliant they may be somewhat corrupted in the sense that they've been brought into the tent and given blandishments of one kind or another board memberships and things like that and so on and they're not going to do the job for us they're not going to bring home product for us and have our grievances met

Let's talk about a bit of the fallout now looking forward, Mary.

So this week, we're going to have these votes on the excise duty measures, but also a vote of confidence in the government.

Can we rely upon all of the Fianna Fáil and Fianna Gael backbenchers and the independent TDs supporting the government to vote the right way and that nobody will go overboard here?

Yeah, John, Danny Healy-Ray is on Radio Kerry today calling for the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael backbenchers to rise up and get rid of their leadership.

He's calling Micheál Martin arrogant.

He's outraged at what's gone on and says the new package is not enough.

Well, I suppose tensions and splits in the Healy Ray camp are not new.

I knew both their father, Jackie, and him quite well as a young reporter in the Kerryman long, long ago.

Is he going to vote against them?

Will he fail to show all of those things?

That will be something of a sideshow this week.