Limerick TDs exchange verbal blows in the Dáil
THE BLUE touch paper which has been smouldering between two Limerick TDs has been lit again.
Minister for State Patrick O’Donovan and Deputy Richard O’Donoghue have had a number of verbal sparring matches. There was a war of words over Mr O’Donoghue announcing he would take the vaccine after previously expressing reservations, and when Mr O’Donoghue said Mr O’Donovan was “actively trying to stop my speaking rights”.
It erupted again last week when Mr O’Donovan was answering questions in the Dail. Mr O’Donoghue said the “Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, is a fellow Limerick man”.
“Are the people of Europe aware that we cannot move away from fossil fuels because we have no alternatives? The Minister was elected by the people of County Limerick, who he represents, including pig farmers, workers in small industries and truckers. Everyone who has elected the Minister of State has asked him to have a voice, not to be told by his party's whip what to say and when to say it.
“We have two million vehicles in this country. Most of them are in towns and villages around the rural areas that the Minister of State represents. These people have no public transport in place. Basically, the people in our area of County Limerick and other counties are paying for the infrastructure that the Government is putting into the cities. Yet, they are failing to put infrastructure into the counties. People are going to go hungry. People are going to be cold. People are going to have debt. This is all because of the failure of this Government to act,” said Mr O’Donoghue, who added that the Government has been asked to cap the price of the tax on fuel but has “refused to help us on that”.
He asked where is all the taxation going on the fuels?
“It is coming from fuel taxes. I want the Minister of State to help me make a difference to every household. I want him to stand up here for the people of County Limerick who elected him to help all industry for the area he represents,” said Mr O’Donoghue.
Mr O’Donovan said he has been in the Dail for 12 years representing the people of County Limerick.
“In response to Deputy O'Donoghue, I do not need to be reminded of my job. I am well capable of being reminded of that by the people of County Limerick. Having been returned by them three times now, I must be doing something right,” said Mr O’Donovan.
With regard to rural infrastructure, Mr O’Donovan said he notes that “in the Limerick Leader, Weekly Observer and Vale Mallow Star and Observer, the deputy (Mr O’Donoghue) is very quick to welcome much of the Government's investment in rural roads”.
“As someone who works in construction, I note the deputy is very praiseworthy of the Government's increased investment in roads all over County Limerick. We are doing a very good job in investing in roads in County Limerick. The deputy is also very praiseworthy of the Government's rural transport infrastructure improvements, which have been done all over County Limerick. We are, therefore, doing an awful lot of very positive things as well.
“The deputy gets a lot of speaking time in this Chamber. He is no stranger to taking a lot of credit for some of the stuff the Government is doing in County Limerick. During some of the times he uses that speaking time here, he might put in the odd plug for the positive stuff we are doing as well, because it is not all negative,” said Mr O’Donovan.
The Ceann Comhairle said: “We are fortunate to have so many robust contributors from County Limerick.”