Willie O’Dea: stands over ‘political football’ allegation.

CLAIMS by Minister of State for Justice Willie O’Dea that Irish Examiner columnist Fergus Finlay was using the disabled issue as a political football were described as “beneath contempt” yesterday.

Mr Finlay, chef de cabinet of the Labour Party and a long-standing proponent of improved rights for the disabled, rejected Mr O’Dea’s comments yesterday.

Responding to comments made by Mr O’Dea on RTÉ yesterday morning, Mr Finlay said he felt “the personal stuff was extremely unworthy and beneath contempt”.