Varadkar to McDonald: You remind me of Marine Le Pen

The Taoiseach has likened Sinn Féin deputy leader, Mary Lou McDonald, to French far-right leader Marine Le Pen during heated exchanges in the Dáil.

During leaders’ questions, Ms McDonald accused Leo Varadkar and his ministers of abandoning struggling families who she said were forced to pay as much as a second mortgage in childcare costs.

Her criticisms drew a strong response from Mr Varadkar, who delivered a stinging rebuke. The Taoiseach accused her party of copping out of government in both North and South, and slammed its continued failure to take its seats in Westminster.

Mr Varadkar said Sinn Féin was the only party “that has never done anything for children”, but this drew an equally sharp response from Ms McDonald who said: “May I say for the record of the Dáil that I am actually raising two young children.”

She said the Taoiseach had “neck” when there were thousands of children in emergency accommodation: “He should not dream of attacking us on the basis of our care or otherwise for children. Given the record of his Government and successive Governments, he has considerable neck to advance that position.”

In response, Mr Varadkar likened the Dublin Central TD to far-right French leader Marine Le Pen because “she always goes back to her script”.

“Even though their politics is totally different, Deputy McDonald reminds me more and more of Marine Le Pen because she always goes back to her script. She delivers a scripted question and when I give her an answer and ask her a question, she goes straight back to the script again,” he said.

Ms McDonald called on the Government to increase the universal childcare subsidy from 50c an hour to €2.50 an hour. This would give struggling families €420 a month and cost the State €116m in a full year, she said.

Mr Varadkar said his first priority in Budget 2018 is to “balance the books for the first time in 10 years”.

The Taoiseach said it is the right thing to do, especially for children, who would bear the consequences if the State continued to increase the national debt.

He said that in the budget there would be an investment in infrastructure: “After that, we will find some space for people in Ireland who go to work.”

Successive governments have increased child benefit in the State to one of the most generous in Europe, as well as introducing subsidies in childcare and free GP care for children under six.