THE discontent of early summer promises a winter of malcontents within the Fianna Fail parliamentary party. Their TDs and senators were cranky and resentful before the Dail arose last week and they are likely to be even more sullen and angry returning in September.

And when they were not being sniped at by their backbenchers, angry farmers whose incomes have been slashed by REPs schemes, targeted Fianna Fail ministers in Kildare and Monaghan and a TD in Mayo. Minister Aine Brady, and backbenchers Beverley Flynn and Margaret Conlon faced the wrath of the farmers over the weekend.

Meanwhile, back at last week's meeting -- which one minister described as "ugly" -- a backbench TD said that for the first time he can remember since Brian Cowen was elected leader, his colleagues were "unguarded in their criticism of the Taoiseach".

Summertime blues for Brian Cowen signal the end of the honeymoon that followed his election as Taoiseach and president of Fianna Fail.

"There are groups now openly talking about change -- not just a reshuffle in government but a reshuffle of the whole lot, including the leadership," said a Fianna Fail backbencher last night.

The malcontents are a small minority now, but recent events have emboldened them to openly criticise the leader.

"We didn't get a chance to show how we felt about the appalling performance of the party in the local elections before the meeting last week and all the pent-up frustration and anger burst out," said another TD.

However, all of the Fianna Fail parliamentary party know that there cannot be a change of leader before an election.

"It just couldn't be done," said a senior member of the party last night. "And if we did face an election, we would be wiped out."

Mr Cowen must have been taken aback when a model of mild-mannered orthodoxy, Dr Michael Woods, who served 14 years in cabinet and 32 years as a TD, delivered an angry rebuke to the leadership.

Others were more strident and noisy and a series of confrontations between the chairman of the parliamentary party, Seamus Kirk, set the mood of the meeting. It was "bad-tempered", "downright nasty", "unpleasant and aggressive", according to different TDs and senators.

The immediate focus of their anger was real cuts in their pay, allowances and expenses that will reduce many of the TDs' incomes by as much as €25,000 a year. Although when the sparks began to fly, members criticised judges for not taking salary cuts; the reduced levels of alcohol for drivers; Dail reform; and the media.

But the TDs and senators were just as concerned about new checks on their attendance that could diminish their status and self-esteem.

It emerged in the course of the meeting that Finance Minister Brian Lenihan intended to introduce an amendment to the bill determining their salaries and expenses. The amendment gave Brian Lenihan, and his successors, the authority to set the expenses of TDs and senators. They accused the Finance Minister of deliberately concealing information from them.

The TDs also resented the idea of a swipe card that would keep track of their comings and goings at Leinster House and prevent claims for expenses from absent members.

One TD told party chairman Mr Lenihan: "We're not going to be treated like factory workers clocking in and clocking out."

TDs and senators believe that a pilot scheme for civil servants where their attendance and hours in work would be monitored by a swipe card system will be used to check up on them. And while most privately acknowledge that a few may abuse their expenses and allowance privileges, they resent the idea of a "Big Brother system of electronic supervision".

Michael Woods said that, as a TD, he held a constitutional office to represent his constituents, and stressing his objections to swipe cards, he said: "Judges don't have to clock in." And backbenchers are angry that, unlike them, judges didn't have to submit to a levy or a cut in their expenses and allowances.

Veteran Galway West TD Frank Fahey, a die-hard supporter of the leadership, told the meeting that he hadn't seen so many divisions in the party since the Haughey era and complained about members giving stories to the media.

The class of '97 complained about first-time TDs Aine Kitt and Dara Colleary being promoted to junior ministries ahead of themselves.

"They're only a wet week in the place and they get preferential treatment," said one resentful TD.

Between 50 and 60 members of the parliamentary party, some entering and leaving at different times, attended the meeting last Tuesday evening. "It was at the end of one of the most difficult years we have ever had to had to face," said a minister.

"Our TDs and senators were very tired after dealing with a whole raft of legislation and emergency legislation, so they were cranky, but I expect the mood will improve over the summer."

Another meeting had to be arranged to sort out their differences with Mr Lenihan in the Fianna Fail party rooms before the TDs went off for the summer last Friday.

The party will meet again in Athlone before the Dail resumes in September for another chorus of the summertime blues.

ssmyth@independent.ie

- Sam Smyth