O’Dea under fire over gun photo shoot

DEFENCE MINISTER Willie O’Dea was yesterday embroiled in a war of words with opposition politicians after he was pictured holding a handgun.

The minister was roundly criticised after the publication of the photograph in the Irish Examiner, particularly following the recent gangland shootings that left three men dead.

Speaking in the Dáil, Labour leader Pat Rabbitte said that for Mr O’Dea to agree to pose for the picture was “at minimum an ill judged, tasteless stunt by a Minister mad on publicity”.

Mr O’Dea was photographed holding the weapon after watching the Army Rangers carry out exercises at the Curragh Camp. He questioned whether the controversy was a “political smokescreen” but said he did not mean to offend anyone. He would wait to see whether people were genuinely offended.

In response to the Labour leader’s comments, he said: “You know some day Pat Rabbitte will drown in his own pomposity. I mean the fact is that Pat Rabbitte is a man who approaches every subject with an open mouth... my message to Pat Rabbitte is get a life.”

The minister came under attack from other opposition politicians, including Fine Gael’s defence spokesman Billy Timmins, who said the minister’s reaction to the controversy reveals “further evidence of his lack of judgement”.

“His failure to acknowledge that his action sends out an incorrect message aligned to his attempts to blame everyone else for his own shortcomings is a clear indication that he does not realise the seriousness of his error,” said Mr Timmins.

Earlier in the Dáil, Socialist TD Joe Higgins, while making clear weaponry was no laughing matter, said to the Tánaiste Mary Harney: “Did you at least require the Minister of Defence to leave his weapon at the door this morning. If not, I was going to ask Deputy Ferris to go down and disarm him,” Mr Higgins added.