SF accuse Harris of ‘misinformation’ in budget claim
TAOISEACH TOLD SITE DIDN’T ‘VANISH LIKE SHERGAR’
FIANNA Fail Senator Malcolm Byrne has denied that Lisa Chambers has become a “liability” following a number of controversies ahead of the European elections.
Ms Chambers, who is running for Fianna
Fail in the MidlandsNorthwest constituency, found herself embroiled in controversy following the March referendums on family and care after it emerged she voted no in both referendums – despite taking part in canvases for the party’s yes campaign.
On Saturday at the party Ard Fheis, Ms Chambers said she believed people who have been granted asylum should be deported if they commit a serious crime.
A party policy paper states that those seeking asylum should be deported if they commit a crime. It does not mention those who have been granted asylum.
Issue
In Leinster House yesterday, Mr Byrne admitted Ms Chambers’ comments went “a bit further than the party paper on the issue”.
Asked if she was a “liability” given these comments and the other controversies, Mr Byrne denied this was the case.
He said: “We are a very open democratic party. We’ve always been encouraged to debate. We’re not like other political parties where there’s a view sent down from the top and you must adhere to it.
“It’s fair to say, on a lot of these issues, there is very healthy debate within the party. Individuals are encouraged to hold different opinions.”
TAOISEACH Simon Harris has been accused of “deliberate misinformation” after he suggested in the Dáil that Sinn Féin’s alternative health budget had “vanished like Shergar” from its website.
However, the opposition party’s alternative health budget, published in September 2023, is still available on its website.
A Google search for “Sinn Féin alternative health budget 2024” does result in a broken link.
However, the document remains on the party’s website.
On Tuesday, Mr Harris said Sinn Féin’s
alternative budget pledged less to health than the Government had allocated.
Yesterday, as Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald tackled him on cancelled appointments, Mr Harris suggested the party had deleted the document after he raised it in the chamber.
“I’d like to know [on Tuesday] after I raised the issue of Sinn Féin’s alternative budget for health why it disappeared and vanished like Shergar from your website,” Mr Harris told the Dáil.
“I have a copy of it here. Why did you take it down yesterday?
“Parents need to know. They have every right to know that your party provided less money for their children’s healthcare than our party did.
“Put the plan back up on the website.” This elicited a furious response from Sinn Féin, with Pearse Doherty accusing Mr Harris of misinformation.
Defend
“More deliberate misinformation from Taoiseach after getting caught out yesterday deliberately spoofing about Sinn Fein just like Helen McEntee caught out last week on Morning Ireland deliberately misrepresenting Sinn Féin policy,” he wrote on X.
“Is this a new strategy from Fine Gael can’t defend their record. Here is our policy on our website.”
He then attached a link to the budget. The party’s health spokesman David Cullinane also hit out at the Taoiseach.
He wrote: “For the second day running the Taoiseach is wrong again.”
A spokesman for the Taoiseach said: “It’s good that Sinn Fein policy is back in the spotlight for everyone to compare and contrast with what the Government delivered in Budget 2024.”
Asked in Brussels if he apologises to Sinn Féin and Pearse Doherty, he said “I don’t”. He criticised Sinn Féin’s health budget and housing policies and accused them of “populist politics”.