Complaints over Dempsey’s ‘joviality’ in crisis

TRANSPORT Minister Noel Dempsey has let slip that his department received complaints about him appearing “so happy” during a weekend press conference on the weather crisis.

“We had phone calls into the office [saying]: ‘Who did the minister think he is, laughing at a situation? I can’t get out of my house’ … You know, the usual. You’re supposed to look sombre and serious in all these things.”

Mr Dempsey made the comments as an aside to Environment Minister John Gormley at the beginning of a press conference on the weather situation yesterday.