Taoiseach compares Micheál Martin to sinning priest

The Taoiseach has compared Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin to a priest who secretly goes behind the altar to engage in sin himself.

The comments came after Mr Martin raised a number of public projects including Cork's Dunkettle Interchange and the National Children's Hospital and asked that the Government provide an updated cost of projects under the National Development Plan (NDP).

Mr Martin accused Leo Varadkar and his Government of obfuscation in relation to revealing costs adding that the rumour around Cork city was that the Dunkettle project had risen far beyond the €115m indicated price.

"The language we are getting from the Department is obfuscation after obfuscation, so Taoiseach I will ask for clarity on those specific projects that I have mentioned and also will you commit to update the detailed tables of cost on projects under the NDP for the next four years," Mr Marin said in the Dáil.

Responding, Mr Varadkar said:

"I am always amused and bemused that Deputy Martin likes to accuse me of being partisan and personal yet as is evidenced by his name calling today he is very capable of being partisan and personalised himself.

He kind of reminds me of one of those parish priests who preaches from the altar telling us how to avoid sin while secretly going behind the altar and engaging in any amount of sin himself.

Mr Varadkar went on to detail the capital spending budget in health, which has doubled in the past 10 years.

He added that less than 20% of that budget was for the National Children's Hospital with the remainder going towards other healthcare projects.