Michael Healy-Rae denies making homophobic remark in Dáil row with Leo Varadkar

Michael Healy-Rae and Leo Varadkar debate in the Dáil.

Michael Healy-Rae has defended comments he made in a Dáil debate with Leo Varadkar.

The Tánaiste hit out at the Kerry TD's language, taking issue with the use of the term "airy-fairy".

Mr Healy-Rae said on Wednesday that Mr Varadkar picked up on it to deflect from answering his questions and gave "the perception" that he's upset. 

In the heated Dáil debate on Tuesday about a proposed liquified natural gas (LNG) facility in North Kerry, Mr Healy-Rae said that Mr Varadkar got "a little dig" in by asking if he had understood a previous answer.

He accused Mr Varadkar of "looking down his nose" adding that he would not do that.

He added: "The funny thing about it is I wouldn't dare to look down my nose at you or anyone else because I don't do that, but maybe you do because you're a bit of a big shot.

"Like I say, off with you with the airy-fairies and see how far it will get you. But you can be sure of one thing, it is not a nice thing to look down your nose at me and say what you said to me a while ago. Not nice."

Mr Varadkar said that "quite frankly" what the Kerry TD had said was "not nice" and that he should "reflect" on his comments.

"Reflect on it, think about it and come back here tomorrow or the next day and take it back, if you want to."

Speaking on Liveline this afternoon, Mr Healy-Rae maintains that the comment had nothing to do with Mr Varadkar's sexuality, saying that he has "no interest whatsoever" in his "private life".

He revealed he didn't vote to support same-sex marriage in 2015, though he said he "has many friends that are gay".

Speaking about being and coming out as homosexual, Mr Healy-Rae said "that's nobody's business but their own" and that he wishes Mr Varadkar "nothing but good luck and happiness".

"But for anyone to take what I said yesterday as me being in any way insulting or trying to offend the Tánaiste, I'm clearly telling you now that was never my intention," Mr Healy-Rae stated on-air. 

He also said he used the term "airy-fairy" last year when it was suggested to change the title of the Kerryman newspaper among others to something more gender inclusive, and wasn't brought up on it at the time. 

"I said that we were going to get so silly with the use of words that'd we'd all be gone away with the airy-fairies that we should actually replace the word manhole on the road with 'a person's hole'."

Mr Healy-Rae maintains that the comment had nothing to do with Mr Varadkar's sexuality, saying that he was "no interest whatsoever" in his "private life". Picture: Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie

He said he uses the term to describe "airy-fairy nonsense gone mad" and that it's a term "commonly used by me and I'm sure others".

Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Healy-Rae defended his use of the term, saying anyone who knows him, knows it was not used as an insult.

He said that he often says that people "have airy-fairy" ideas or that a person who wasn't in touch with reality was "away with the fairies".

"I know one thing. I would not in a million years mean any insult or anything derogatory about any human being when I would use that word. Absolutely not.

Mr Healy-Rae said that he felt the Tánaiste picked up on it to use it as a deflection.

"Isn't it a great way not to answer a question," he told Radio Kerry's Kerry Today show.

He added that when Mr Varadkar suggested he didn't understand an answer, he could have said the Tánaiste should reflect on his comments given Mr Healy-Rae is dyslexic.

"But I wouldn't dare do that, because I know that's not what he meant.

"He knows in his heart and soul that I meant nothing about anybody's private personal business."

When challenged whether Mr Varadkar could have taken offence over the way he used the phrase, Mr Healy-Rae dismissed it.

"Nobody can tell me that what I said was an insult of any type," he said.

Mr Healy-Rae also claimed that Mr Varadkar could not say he had never heard the phrase in the Dáil before.

"Because he's heard it dozens of times. And who he's heard it out of, is out of me. Because I have used it over and over again."

He added: "He's not one bit upset over because he knows I meant nothing by it."

Asked about the row in Blanchardstown, Dublin, today, Mr Varadkar appeared to imply he felt the remark was homophobic.

"He said what he said, I said what I said, I certainly haven't lost any sleep about it. And I've just asked him to reflect on it, I didn't ask him to apologise. 

"And I think the truth is, all of us from time to time, can say things that might be​ racist, homophobic, or misogynistic, our misandristic that can happen. And I think that when is called out, people should acknowledge this. But I'm not a fan of pile-ons or cancel culture either."

However, asked if he was saying the remark was homophobic, Mr Varadkar said that he "said what he said".