FF TD defends Noonan over ‘lifestyle’ remark

Michael Noonan has been defended over his controversial emigration remarks by a surprising source — an opposition rival.

Fianna Fáil front-bench TD Niall Collins says the Fine Gael finance minister has been “wrongly portrayed” as an “uncaring individual” and does not deserve the criticism.

Mr Noonan faced calls to apologise last week after suggesting that emigration was a “lifestyle choice” in a lot of cases. Among those demanding an apology was Fianna Fáil jobs spokesman Willie O’Dea, who said in an official party statement that he was “disgusted” by the remarks.

Mr Collins, Fianna Fáil’s environment spokesman, appeared to put himself at odds with the party line in staunchly defending Mr Noonan. All three TDs are Limerick-based, but unlike Mr Noonan and Mr O’Dea, who are rivals in the city constituency, Mr Collins is in the county constituency.

“He did not deserve the criticism he got,” said Mr Collins of the minister.

“When you take his comment in the full context in which it was given, the criticism he got was unfair.

“From knowing him politically, he is not a man who is unaware of the hardships facing families who see their sons and daughters forced to emigrate.

“What he said is being taken as a glib, irresponsible remark, when taken out of context. While we have strong political differences, I feel he is being wrongly portrayed in this situation as an uncaring individual, oblivious to the trauma facing thousands of families due to emigration.”

Mr Collins said he had read the entirety of Mr Noonan’s remarks and felt it right to defend the minister, despite political differences. “Fair comment is fair comment, but what has happened with him was not fair comment in my view, given what he actually stated.”

Mr Noonan made the comments at a press conference on the EC-ECB-IMF bailout review on Thursday.

The minister said there were always young people “coming and going” from Ireland and divided them into two camps: those going as a lifestyle choice, including three of his own five children, and those forced to emigrate.

“It was a free choice of lifestyle and what they wanted to do with their lives,” he said of his own children. “And there are a lot of families like that.

“Now, there are other people being driven abroad all right... the collapse of the building industry has driven a lot of forced emigration.”

At the weekend, Mr Noonan reiterated his belief that his remarks had been taken out of context. “The full interview is up on the website and if you want to check it, you will see that what was reported wasn’t a full version. I can’t control what people publish, but I know my comments were absolutely balanced and absolutely correct.”