ANOTHER headache for Michael McDowell this weekend as he ponders his party's electoral prospects against the current 'money-for-Bertie' controversy. "O Brolchain to take seat at PDs' expense?" the Galway Advertiser front-page headline asks this weekend. The newspaper reports on the results of the latest constituency opinion poll which shows that Noel Grealish . . . the PD standard-bearer in Galway West . . . is in danger of losing his Dail seat. Defeat for Grealish, one of the better PD constituency workers, would not augur well for other party TDs including Mae Sexton, Tim O'Malley and Fiona O'Malley.

McDowell will have to consider what impact the Manchester Money has, not just on the government's standing, but more importantly on the PDs. Gaining at Grealish's expense in Galway West, according to the poll, would be Niall O Brolchain of the Green Party, who is currently mayor of Galway.

Last weekend, Senator Brian Hayes warned that these constituency polls should be approached with caution. Hayes was commenting on three local surveys, two on Mayo and one in Dublin South East. The Fine Gael senator had reason to put a dampener on the results which made for poor reading for his party.

The poll in Dublin South East was a disaster for Fine Gael with no seat in prospect on the first-preference vote won by new candidate Lucinda Creighton, while the huge votes for Enda Kenny and Michael Ring might make it very tricky for the party to deliver a third seat in Mayo. There was, however, some truth in the caution urged by Hayes. The lead-in to the last general election saw a series of 'non-polls' reported by several local newspapers, including a 'poll' 'commissioned' by one particular newspaper, which was then unable to discover which polling company did the research work.

Dail debates need a makeover

ALL THE talk of a general election and new jobs for the incoming Taoiseach to dispense raises the issue of who will succeed Rory O'Hanlon as Ceann Comhairle. It's not a topic to raise down the pub, but somebody in Leinster House has to ensure that O'Hanlon's successor makes a better fist of the job than the former Fianna Fail minister.

They might have bombarded O'Hanlon last week in Monaghan over the local hospital issue, but he really deserves criticism for the stranglehold over proper debate that he displays in the Dail chamber.

A rigid adherence to standing orders and past precedents means little of relevance gets discussed in an orderly manner. A little latitude would have prevented the silly scenes last Thursday morning as Joe Higgins was prevented from asking a question as the representative of the Technical Group of independent TDs.

The sight of politicians shouting at each other across the Dail chamber only gets Leinster House a bad name.

The next Ceann Comhairle should be given a new job description that includes a requirement to help make the Dail relevant.

TOM Parlon's (left) influence on the PDs was in evidence last Friday morning when Michael McDowell made his way to the ploughing championships in Tullow. McDowell's leadership has not signalled a shift in PD emphasis from south county Dublin to rural Ireland, but nonetheless, the PDs took a tent (Stand 368, Row T) at the Co Carlow gathering.

The rural set in the PDs, led by Parlon, gathered at the PD tent, where McDowell presided over the launch of the party's new policy document on rural housing. Several of McDowell's entourage nipped out last Thursday afternoon to the shops in Dublin to purchase some wellingtons.

No sign of Liz O'Donnell for the photo opportunity either, so it seems there's more work needed by Parlon on that one.

Pre-budget blagging gets underway

PLANS for next December's budget are well underway with the influential tax strategy group meeting to examine the possibility of changes in the tax code including the long-standing PD objective of reducing the top income tax rate from 42% to 40%.

The lobbying industry is also in full flight, with prebudget submissions and wish lists arriving at the Department of Finance. Every group has its own pet project with a rational argument as to why it should be included in Brian Cowen's (assuming he's not Taoiseach by then) budget speech.

The Irish Charities Tax Reform Group last week added its demands to the list with a call on the government to redirect over 100m raised in credit/debit card stamp duties to registered charities and sports groups.

A worthy idea, but before such a large sum of public money is handed over, the government might be better served in finally passing into law its proposals to overhaul the all-too lax regulation of the charity sector.