Mr MacSharry claimed this week that there was a hold-up in dealing with the complaint because Taoiseach Micheál Martin wanted to delay and prevent his readmission to the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party.

“He knows that I am critical of his performance as Taoiseach,” Mr MacSharry stated, adding: “His support within the parliamentary party is wafer-thin.”

The Sligo-Leitrim TD may or may not be overstating his credentials as a critic of the Government, but his comments on Mr Martin’s support within Fianna Fáil are yet another distraction from the many tasks at hand. Internal discipline is non-negotiable for any party leader, particularly one wrangling a parliamentary party through an unprecedented rotation of power.

That swapping of portfolios will undoubtedly cause some headaches in the corridors of Leinster House because, by definition, not everyone can be accommodated.

The reshuffle means there will be a certain amount of simmering unhappiness left to brew over the Christmas recess (though those at the top in Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael alike will be happy to see TDs scatter to their constituencies for the break rather than conspire together in corners of the Dáil bar). 

The extent to which that dissatisfaction can be moulded into action cannot be established without knowing the exact dramatis personae, but experienced hands will recognise the threat posed by an individual who may wish to serve as a rallying point — a threat to the Government as a whole and not just the leadership of one of its constituent parts.

Some may bemoan the possibility of endangering the stability of a Government because of a relatively obscure squabble between party members. Others may point out that such squabbles — and such threats — are the very essence of a parliamentary democracy.