MacSharry told his behaviour in Dáil is “not acceptable”
SLIGO-LEITRIM TD Marc MacSharry was told his behaviour in the Dáil chamber was “not acceptable” when he chose to walk out of the Dáil chamber when a question he had asked was being replied to.
Deputy MacSharry attracted the ire of a government minister and the Leas Cheann Chomhairle when he walked out of the chamber while a question - known as a ‘topical’ - which he had asked was being replied to.
His decision to walk out of the Dáil chamber while Minister Malcolm Noonan was replying prompted the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, Catherine Connolly, Independent TD, to label his behaviour as “unacceptable”.
Moments before he left the chamber Deputy MacSharry was clearly frustrated with the response he received from Minister Noonan when he raised the case of a Sligo householder who lodged an appeal with An Bord Pleánala (ABP) against a planning objection in June 2023, and has still received no response.
He compared the slow speed with which the Sligo appeal was dealt with by ABP to a similar situation in Louth, where an appeal was lodged in October, and a response issued at the start of February.
As Minister Noonan responded, an increasingly irate Deputy MacSharry said: “You said the Government is independent of this, the Government is the Government. People need housing and I have given you tangible examples of why the system is not working.
“I gave you the planning, the number, the case, which was in months after the one I referred to and you had their decision already, so somebody, I know it wasn’t a minister, but somebody down in An Bord Pleánala is selecting [cases] - ‘I’m going to do Mr Noonan’s case now and we’ll leave MacSharry to last’.”
Minister Chambers, watching as Deputy MacSharry left the chamber while he gave his reply stated: “I would appreciate it if the deputy would stay for the response. Leas Cheann Chomhairle I have given my response to the deputy.
“It’s disingenuous that he walked out while I was speaking, I think it really is disingenuous of the deputy that I am here answering a question he brought here while he walks out, but I have given my reply to him and that’s the end of that.
Leas Cheann Chomhairle Catherine Connolly added: “Topicals are fiercely fought for and lots of people put in applications, and I have been there myself as Leas Ceann Chomhairle trying to pick them and we desperately try to be fair and to walk out when your topical is picked and is being answered is not acceptable.”