The Dáil chamber, which had been quite empty during Topical Issues, is now starting to fill up.

Just before things start, some of the issues which we can expect to see brought up are Revenue’s apology to pensioners over *that* letter, the troika and their quarterly visit, and possibly something about the La Senza and Vita Cortex workers (which has already been raised under Topical Issues – but you never know).

And so the 4.33pm kick-off time has… been and gone. The Dáil is still dealing with Topical Issues. At the moment it’s one from Barry Cowen about how information can/should be shared between the Department of Social Protection and the Revenue Commissioners.

Fine Gael TD Alan Farrell is asking if homeowners affected by Pyrite can be exempt from paying the household charge. Dáil chamber is still – slowly – filling up.

Controversial: Did an iPhone just go off in the Dáil chamber? Someone may get into trouble from the Ceann Comhairle for that…

And here we go. Michéal Martin has kicked things off by asking about the Revenue pension fiasco (can we call it a fiasco yet?).

Micheál Martin calls the way Revenue dealt with the pensions tax ‘a very cynical exercise’ which has caused anger and distress to many pensioners.

He asks the Taoiseach if he was personally aware that 150,000 letters were being issued to pensioners.

Enda jumps in with an answer like a man who has been longing for a good fight.

He tells Micheál Martin: “You’ve started where you’ve finished on political accountability”. He points out that information can be shared between Revenue and the Department of Social Protection since 2005.

Enda Kenny: I accept that the handling of the comunciations could have been better.

The Taoiseach is emphasising that the Revenue is completely independent from government.

Micheál Martin snaps right back. He tells the Taoiseach that he didn’t answer the two questions that Martin asked: If the Taoiseach was aware about the letters being sent out, and why there was no political accountability and responsibility for the decision to send them out.

The Taoiseach answering questions from Micheál Martin:

Enda Kenny says that he did not know “the extent” of the number of letters being sent out as Revenue is completely independent of government.

The heckling in the chamber is very loud and sustained now. Ceann Comhairle tells the offenders to pipe down: “You’re after having a break – now can you give us all a break”.

Gerry Adams is up next and as usual, he starts off speaking in Irish.

He asks the Taoiseach if he is going to make a New Year’s resolution to stop stop the “outrageous” payment to Anglo bondholders which is due to take place later this month and instead use it to help the Irish economy.

The Taoiseach says that his New Year’s resolution is the same as last year’s one – to continue to help to get the Irish economy back on track. He adds the by now well-worn mantra which government ministers were trotting out every single time they saw a microphone before Christmas: that the primary focus of the government is to create and protect every single job that it can.

Gerry Adams gets to respond to Enda Kenny – but isn’t happy: “Taoiseach, you’re not ag eisteacht liom, you’re not listening to me”. The camera in the Dáil doesn’t show exactly what Enda Kenny was doing to provoke that, but Gerry continues after a moment’s pause.

Joe Higgins takes up both the Revenue and the Anglo – sorry, IBRC – bondholders issue and says Fine Gael and Labour are merely a “puppet government” doing whatever the market asks of them.

The Ceann Comhairle asks exactly what Higgins’ question is.

Enda Kenny tells Joe Higgins: “You talk about fighting the plan and the troika – it’s not a case of all-out war here, Deputy, it’s a case of negotiating for a better position insofar as the plan that this country is now in is concerned”.

The Taoiseach is stressing – again – how the government is dedicated to the troika plan and focused on jobs.

Joe Higgins: The point is that the dictats from the troika are overriding government responsibility, and allowing Ministers to duck their responsibilities and hide.

Zing! “In the past week, the Poor Clares couldn’t have been more silent than the Minister for Social Protection” – Joe Higgins takes aim at Labour’s role in the coalition.

Taoiseach is reiterating that the government is sticking to the plan: “We’re not afraid of the challenge because we’re going to meet it and meet it successfully”.

And that’s it! The first Leaders’ Questions of 2012 is over. All three questioners went for blood but didn’t get much – Enda Kenny was ready for a fight and smacked down the questions quite sharply. A lot more heckling and one-liners than there usually is – put that down to the excitement of the first day back.  Best line of the session was probably Joe Higgins’ jab about Joan Burton and the Poor Claire’s.

Thanks for reading, everyone.