Remember the date.May the 27th. The Feast of the Enunciation. It marks the day when the messenger Mary Lou solemnly announced in Dáil Éireann that the Taoiseach is a mutterer and if he could only speak up everyone, miraculously, would be able to hear him at all times. And in keeping with Dáil practice, from this day on, the afternoon of May 27th – or the nearest sitting day – shall be set aside for at least two hours to allow deputies enter the deserted chamber to read a succession of speeches as part of ‘Statements to Mark the Feast of the Enunciation’. In the meantime, what did they have on Wednesday?Oh yeah. Statements on Ensuring our Skills, Training and Innovation Systems Keep Pace in a Changing World.The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science set the ball rolling on Wednesday afternoon, teeing up 150 riveting minutes of cross-party revolving-door contributions. No offence to James Lawless, who is always extremely enthusiastic about all matters pertaining to his brief, but the Dáil Business Committee missed a trick by failing to notice that May 27th is World Otter Day.Back to Leaders’ Questions, when Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald got stuck into Micheál Martin over disability payments and concerns over school places for children with additional needs. The Taoiseach explained, with lots of figures, why investment in the area has been “very strong”, with the last budget seeing one of the largest ever increases in disability services.More figures were rolled out to bolster his charge that Mary Lou was “deliberately ignoring the dramatic increases” in funding for special-needs classes, assistants and teachers.“You tried to cut them,” she retorted, before asking the Taoiseach if the window for applications for summer-support programmes will be reopened as many families missed out the first time.He said nobody can deny “the extraordinary and very significant investment that has been made – rightly so – in special education”. Mary Lou persisted with her question about reopening the application portal.“It’s quite significant,” he repeated as the Sinn Féin leader niggled away with her question. It might be something to do with last weekend’s byelections, but Micheál’s fuse has been even shorter this week in the face of Mary Lou’s habitual baiting.Ironic, in a way, as the leaders of Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin finally hit some common ground after months of conflict – both their parties had awful elections. But she was really irking him.“Again, Deputy, you have an awful habit of interrupting. I’ve never interrupted you once in anything you do,” complained Micheál, head down, sheafing through his notes mid-answer.Then he heard Mary Lou sounding off about him from across the floor. Something about not being able to hear him. He looked up quizzically.Sorry?She filled him in. “You mumble. You don’t enunciate.”“I beg your pardon?”“You don’t enunciate clearly. I didn’t hear what you said.”Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy was dumbstruck. She looked at the Taoiseach, who was saying no more either. Whatever about enunciation, there would be no further elaboration. The Government Chief Whip was scandalised.“That’s shocking!” exclaimed Mary Butler. “That’s grand,” said Micheál briskly. “We’ll leave it. We’ll leave it, yeah.”So Verona turned to Mary Lou for her follow-up question.“You have your opportunity now. Thank you,” she said in a quietly disapproving tone.“An appalling comment to make,” harrumphed Minister of State Noel Grealish as the Chief Whip succumbed further to her fit of the vapours. “That’s a new low. It’s a new low!”The Ceann asked everyone to behave in a respectful manner. “There are a lot of people in the gallery.” Delighted, no doubt, with the bit of drama.The Sinn Féin leader clarified her remarks before asking her second question.“These are important issues and it is important when the head of Government addresses them that he is audible and clear and that I can hear him.”It was all rather fraught. But in fairness to deputy McDonald, frazzled Dáil reporters can attest that the Taoiseach can be a terrible mutterer when taking questions. There may even have been some quiet applause in certain quarters when she launched her assault on his enunciation, even if it was a little out of order.Micheál and Mary Lou could have done with a wee drink to calm themselves down – maybe a cup of soothing camomile tea or a nice cold glass of Albarino?Is there a drone service available in Leinster House?Of course there is. But the 2½ hours of statements on ensuring our Skills, Training and Innovation Systems Keep Pace in a Changing World were not due to start until later in the afternoon.Ruth Coppinger. She’ll know, because a drone service delivering takeaway food and drink operates at full tilt in parts of her Dublin West constituency. “Should hundreds of people lose their peace and quiet for a cup of coffee to be flown over them for one person?” she asked the Taoiseach. The People Before Profit TD said commercial fast-food drone-delivery services in Dublin West and Cork City have seen “major setbacks”. A Dublin operator was refused planning retention for its operating base after numerous objections by residents, while an enforcement notice was issued to a drone-hub operator in Cork after it was established without permission. Deputy Coppinger added that a motion by PBP calling for a review of the environmental impact of drones was unanimously passed by Cork City Council. She asked the Taoiseach: “Is it not time to outlaw the delivery of fast food by commercial drones in residential areas? The nuisance that they cause and the impact they have is way beyond the necessity.”Micheál gave a careful political answer – advocating for both sides. The “big issue” with drones is that while residents are concerned about noise and potential infringements of privacy, drone technology is one of the fastest growing technologies and this can’t be ignored. “We want to see that developed but we do need to protect our neighbourhoods.”Our health-conscious Taoiseach wouldn’t be one for fast food anyway. As for this “new phenomenon of drones” delivering coffee or whatever else to people in residential areas, he can’t fathom it at all. “I don’t understand why people can’t just go up to the café, socialise and so on, like that. Or why you need a drone to deliver a cup of coffee or whatever?” he shrugged. “It’s something that I don’t comprehend and I don’t think needs to happen.” Micheál didn’t mention the droning nuisance in Kildare Street.He might need a drone to deliver a speech in Leinster House, but that’s a different kettle of spice bag.Anyway, May 27th. Enunciation Day.We live in hope.Stick it in the diary for next year.