DOHERTY’S DEBACLES: FROM ENDA TO CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE

ABORTION

During the abortion referendum, Regina Doherty irked people on both sides of the debate by saying repeal campaigners “are certainly not going to accept a No”.

COALITION WITH SINN FÉIN

As Government chief whip in January 2017, Ms Doherty stunned colleagues by saying there were “fabulous” people in Sinn Féin that she could work with. Despite being one of that party’s harshest critics over the years, she said: “There are some incredible people in Sinn Féin; incredibly smart, articulate, thoughtful, and could I work with them? Of course I could, yeah.” She quickly returned to her normal stance on Sinn Féin.

LIFE ON THE DOLE Ms Doherty raised eyebrows in September last year with an address to the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed’s headquarters. While speaking about wanting to make the social welfare system as fair as possible, she said: “I don’t know where people get the view that people who are living on welfare are living the life of Riley because, Jaysus, I couldn’t live on €198 a week, and that’s being honest.” As a minister her salary is €163,000.

HELEN McENTEE ROW Constituency tensions are commonplace in political parties but are mostly allowed to simmer behind the scenes, especially when one TD is chief whip and the other is a junior minister. But when asked in a newspaper interview if she had a working relationship with Helen McEntee, Ms Doherty said: “No, not at all and I have no idea why. She would walk past me in the corridor and wouldn’t even blink her eyes.” The remarks were met with a furious response from Ms McEntee, who described them as “utterly inappropriate” and sought an internal review.

CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE In 2016, Ms Doherty expressed her opposition to the approval of planning permission for the new north-south electricity inter-connector which passes through her Meath East constituency. Fianna Fáil TD Thomas Byrne – who also opposes the project – accused her of backing protests against her own Government when she indicated that she supported farmers and landowners who may engage in “civil disobedience” over the issue.

CALLING TIME ON ENDA Shortly after being appointed chief whip by Enda Kenny, she said in a local radio interview that he should set out a timeline for stepping down as Taoiseach. Ms Doherty later said she had answered a question on the issue “without thinking” and quickly realised “how much of a stupid thing I had done”.