Deenihan defends deputies' days down under

Fine Gael TD Jimmy Deenihan defended his decision to play rugby in Australia when the Dáil returned from its summer recess.

Deputy Deenihan and seven other TDs travelled to Sydney to take part in the parliamentarians’ rugby world cup earlier this month.

The Fine Gael spokesman for arts, sport and tourism rejected claims that the men should have been present for the return of the Dáil.

He said: “The parliamentarians’ rugby world cup is seen as being a very important event.

“It started in South Africa in 1995 and, at the time, South Africa was in the stage of transition from the apartheid regime to a democratic government.

“Certainly at that stage it brought all the different political parties - white or black – in South Africa together. It was seen as a huge success.”

Mr Deenihan said members of the Joint Oireachtas rugby club had decided a while ago to make the trip to Australia, and had made arrangements to pay their own fares.

“It was unfortunate that the world cup week, the week of the games, coincided with the first week back in the Dáil,” he said.

He said New Zealand had cancelled the first week of its own parliament to allow politicians to take part in the tournament.

During the trip the Irish politicians’ constituency offices remained open, and Deputy Deenihan said he kept in constant contact with his secretary and the Dáil.

“It wasn’t as if I was on holiday,” he added.

“I had to play three very tough games and while I was over there I visited Sydney Opera House, which is very pertinent to the discussion that’s going on at the moment regarding the future of the Abbey Theatre and the National Concert Hall.

“Also I went to see the three main stadia in Sydney and that would be very important regarding the discussions on a national stadium at the moment. I think it was very worthwhile from that point of view.”