It was George Orwell who believed that political language was designed to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.
There is no doubting the solidity of Taoiseach Simon Harris’ words.
They are crisp and clear and typically devoid of the normal caveats that pepper most politicians’ sentences.
But if the Taoiseach’s unambiguous promises are not followed by equally clear results, does he run the risk of being viewed as someone who merely speaks in neat soundbites?
For instance, did the pledge that there would be no repeat of the tented encampments in Mount Street in Dublin City Centre ultimately fall flat?
Back then Simon Harris said: “We need to make sure the laws of the land are applied and it is not allowed to happen again.”
But it did happen again, just around the corner, along the banks of the Grand Canal.
Admittedly, that was quickly cleared again on Thursday and there was no doubting the Taoiseach’s and other Ministers’ firm intention to forcefully continue with this strategy.
However, given the shortage of accommodation for the record number of people arriving here seeking asylum, tents are inevitably going to be pitched somewhere.
Plus, State-funded charities are giving people tents because as the Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman explained, the Government does not want people to be “entirely destitute.”
It all suggests that solid political promises are not going to be easy to deliver on.
So far those working with the new Taoiseach in Government have been impressed with his high energy approach to work.
He is always at his desk well before 8am and no lull is permitted during the day as tasks are continually addressed. In Government Buildings these days there is no time to sit still.
Whatever the long-term fallout from the clearing of Mouth Street, it is viewed by his Fine Gael colleagues as a decisive act.
The move to unify and coordinate the efforts of ministers working on this issue is also seen as positive by those out on the doorsteps canvassing for the local and European Parliament elections.
“It is something we can point to, and it would not have been there if Leo was still in charge,” said one senior Fine Gael figure in Dublin.
However, others within the party, although quite impressed by the Taoiseach’s “energy and drive,” warn that he “needs to mind his language” and not always “raise expectations” and “over promise.”
One departing TD took a more philosophical view saying: “I’m actually pleasantly surprised at how he’s hit the ground running. That said I don’t buy the hype around a ‘bounce.’ Regarding the tents: ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t.’”
Ultimately it is felt that the Taoiseach will “need to lead a careful national conversation” on migration which will call on all his well-honed communication skills.
Indeed, that time is fast approaching for this conversation according to many canvassers who speak of being hit by a “nasty wave” of anti-immigrant sentiment in the last week.
It appears to be a constant theme in the cities but also in most small towns with many of the comments described as “deeply disappointing.”
“It is the only thing that people are talking about,” said one veteran Fine Gael figure.
Some are taken aback too by the fact that it seems “housing has suddenly fallen off the agenda” as fears of rising immigration numbers take hold.
This has unnerved many on the Government backbenches who now want to see a far firmer approach to migration.
This ranges from a desire to swiftly introduce emergency legislation that would see anyone without proper paperwork quickly deported, to random spot checks near the border.
One very worried Fine Gael TD, who fears electoral annihilation in the coming weeks, says the need was emergency legislation was communicated to the Taoiseach in Leinster House late on Wednesday night.
There is a widespread view that welfare payments for asylum seekers will have to be “harmonised” with those in Britain.
It all suggests that the handling of the migration issue over the next four weeks could mark a defining moment for this Government and its new Taoiseach.
Any heightening of the current tensions will surely spell trouble for the three Government parties on polling day which is less than four weeks away.
Such an outcome would have the potential to destabalise the coalition itself.
