‘I can organise it so Kenny won’t be heard in Dáil’

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen warned Fine Gael he could effectively silence their leader amid angry scenes in the Dáil yesterday.

Mr Cowen’s penchant for bruising parliamentary exchanges, which he had contained in the fortnight since becoming Taoiseach, resurfaced as he issued a clear threat to the main opposition party.

The row happened during Leaders’ Questions, the section of Dáil business where FG leader Enda Kenny and his Labour counterpart, Eamon Gilmore, get the chance to grill the Taoiseach on issues of the day.

Mr Kenny raised the subject of funding that had been allocated for mental health and palliative care services but not spent.

The losers were the patients who could not access the services they needed, Mr Kenny said.

He asked the Taoiseach for a commitment that the monies not spent in 2006 and 2007 would now be “front-loaded” so that frontline staff could provide improved services in these areas.

Rather than give such a commitment, Mr Cowen immediately went on the attack in his response.

“The problem with the leader of the opposition every morning is that his party hasn’t yet supported one initiative in relation to the health service reform, not one,” Mr Cowen said.

That led to cries of “Play the man, not the ball” and loud heckling from a number of FG TDs, including health spokesman Dr James Reilly, who appeared to particularly irk Mr Cowen.

“Just to bring to Deputy Reilly’s attention, I can organise it that every time your man completes a sentence, I can have people roaring and shouting across here if you want,” Mr Cowen said. “I can organise that, because every time I open my mouth, I hear something from you.

“I want to make one point to you. If you keep that tactic up, I’ll make sure that he won’t be heard in this house,” Mr Cowen told Dr Reilly in a reference to Mr Kenny.

The FG leader promptly rose to his feet, declaring: “I’m not going to take that from any member of this house. You will not silence the FG party or any member of the FG party.”

Mr Cowen responded: “I will not be shouted down as an orchestrated tactic which you’ve been engaging in here for months. I’m just pointing out that that won’t work with me, right?”

Mr Cowen insisted he wanted to answer questions, but if Leaders’ Questions were to be about Mr Kenny “organising a shouting match”, then the FG leader “won’t get answers”.

Strong language from the top

Previous examples of unparliamentary language:

* May 2005:

During a Dáil debate, Junior Minister Conor Lenihan tells Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins to “stick to the kebabs“. Lenihan later denies he was referring to the underpaid Turkish construction workers on whose behalf Mr Higgins had been campaigning. The junior minister subsequently makes an apology to the Dáil.

* May 2004:

Defence Minister Michael Smith swears during a Dáil row about the e-voting controversy. Referring to opposition parties, he is caught saying: “No, let them f**k it, we’ll say no more, say no more.”

* April 1995:

During an interview with a radio journalist in Cork, Taoiseach John Bruton becomes frustrated and barks: “I am sick of answering questions about the f**king peace process.” He later apologises to the reporter.

* October 1992:

In the middle of the general election campaign, Taoiseach Albert Reynolds describes a suggestion of poor relations between himself and coalition partners, the PDs, as “crap, pure crap“. Despite it being relatively mild, the swear word does surprising damage to Reynolds, forcing him to apologise for any offence caused.

* November 1984:

During an infamous interview with Hot Press magazine, Fianna Fáil leader Charles Haughey declares: “I could instance a load of f**kers whose throat I’d cut, and push over the nearest cliff, but there’s no percentage in that.”