‘Pusher’ Bertie leaves Joe red-faced by offering to buy a pint
Already under fire for serving as ‘Maid Marian’ to Noel Dempsey’s ‘Robin Hood’, the Taoiseach was accused of being a drug pusher by Trevor Sargent yesterday. By Clever Trevor’s rationale, Bertie opens pubs, pubs serve alcohol, alcohol is a drug, therefore Bertie is a drug pusher.
Challenged by FF backbencher John Cregan, who said it was a disgraceful remark, Trevor substituted the word push for promote.
The pressing issue of pub opening was raised by Socialist TD Joe Higgins, enquiring about the extent of the Government’s plans to restrict alcohol advertising.
Declaring there wasn’t a pub in the country at this stage that didn’t have a plaque on the wall saying it was opened by the Taoiseach, Red Joe wanted to know if the clampdown would apply to Mr Ahern.
“Will you be imposing a pub-opening purdah?” he asked. Setting the record straight, Bertie told Joe he’d be delighted to bring him to a pub to buy him a pint.
“I gather he’s not too good at buying them himself,” Bertie said.
Defending his honour, Joe said he didn’t have the cash to be buying pints all round. He said: “I live on the average industrial wage. If I was living on €200,000, I’d buy them for everybody.”
Labour leader Pat Rabbitte then asked if Bertie anticipated any resignations from the Cabinet as a result of the proposed re-introduction of college fees.
Repeating the same answer ad nauseam, Bertie said no decision had been taken and opposition was now objecting to an unknown proposal.
Leaving the chamber, it’s not clear if the Taoiseach went off to open a pub or check if Noel Dempsey was drinking when he came up with the idea of bringing back fees.
