Tánaiste in ‘sirloin and merlot’ row in the Dáil
TDs left stunned as Leo Varadkar gives FF’s James Lawless a public dressing down in Dáil restaurant
TENSIONS between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are threatening to boil over after Tánaiste Leo Varadkar gave a senior Coalition TD a public dressing down in the Dáil restaurant.
The heated exchange between the incoming Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil TD James Lawless occurred in front of several witnesses at the Oireachtas restaurant on Wednesday night.
It is understood Mr Varadkar was annoyed at public criticisms made by Mr Lawless about a recent Fine Gael statement pushing for changes to how the Coalition tackles the housing crisis.
One witness told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘Mr Lawless was sitting in the restaurant at a table with a couple of Fine Gael councillors and a senator. The initial conversations were amicable but then Leo turned on him. He gave Lawless a right dressing down, Leo told him the housing thing was no way to do business.’
The incident has exacerbated deepening tensions between the two main Coalition parties. Several
Fianna Fáil TDs, including James O’Connor, Paul McAuliffe and Cormac Devlin, sharply criticised the Fine Gael ‘démarche’.
Senior Fine Gael sources tried to play down the incident.
One party source who witnessed the exchanges told the MoS: ‘It looked more like banter to me. James joined Leo and [Senator Garret] Ahearn and a couple of councillors. They were having wine and chatting about politics and gossip.
‘I didn’t see anything uncordial about it at all. A night of sirloin and merlot and gossip!’
But another Fine Gael source indicated the encounter was a little more rambunctious, noting: ‘The councillors were enchanted; they loved the row. It was a great bit of theatre until Paschal [Donohoe] joined and talked about the economy for 25 minutes. That sent everyone to sleep again.’
Mr Lawless declined to comment on the incident when contacted by the MoS. Senator Ahearn confirmed the exchange, saying it took place when the Fianna Fáil TD sat down at a table beside him, Mr Varadkar and two Fine Gael councillors.
Mr Ahearn told the MoS: ‘As he [Lawless] had come to us we thought it was a good idea to let him know our views. There was an exchange of views putting it there that he needs to be more supportive of the Government.’
The Fine Gael senator said Mr Varadkar was also unhappy with public criticisms Mr Lawless had made about the party’s Dún Laoghaire TD, Jennifer Carroll
MacNeill. Mr Ahearn said: ‘Leo said clearly this is not the way to do business. Leo tried to explain that if Fine Gael come up with good policies, it’s good for the Government as well as Fine Gael and that’s why [Fianna Fáil TD and Housing Minister] Darragh O’Brien is taking on some of our ideas.’
The senator also confirmed he ‘had a go’ at the Fianna Fáil TD, who is also chair of the Oireachtas Justice Committee, over his public criticisms of Justice Minister Helen McEntee.
He said: ‘I took the meeting as an opportunity to defend and support Ms McEntee.’ The heated exchange took place against the backdrop of rising tensions between the two old Civil War parties as they prepare to rotate the office of Taoiseach.
This weekend it emerged the planned rotation of the Taoiseach’s office from Micheál Martin to Leo Varadkar will be delayed to allow the Fianna Fáil leader to attend the final EU summit of the year.
The changeover date of December 15 is specified in the Programme for Government but this clashes with the next
European Council summit in Brussels. It is understood discussions have taken place within Government on setting a new date for the rotation of the roles and the expected Cabinet reshuffle.
The Coalition tensions have been apparent in Fine Gael TDs open criticisms of Fianna Fáil Education Minister Norma Foley’s plans to address the school bus shortage.
And former Fianna Fáil minister and Limerick TD Willie O’Dea heavily criticised Minister McEntee at this week’s parliamentary party meeting over her decision to repatriate the convicted killer of champion boxer Kevin Sheehy to his native England, just weeks into his life sentence.
Senator Ahearn acknowledged ‘there’s fault on both sides’.
He told the MoS: ‘It’s not as if we are supportive of Norma [Foley]. I kind of get why Fianna Fáil are annoyed.’
But he added: ‘It is important both sides recognise it is in our interests to work together. There have been faults on both sides, but it is important
‘Clearly this is not the way to do business’
‘There have been faults on both sides’
that both recognise we need to work together more closely. Sometimes clearing the air is good.’
However, senior ministers want the three party leaders to sit down this week and end the ‘tit for tat’ attacks threatening to destabilise the Coalition.
One Cabinet source said that ministers are concerned ‘cohesion could be damaged’.
They told the MoS: ‘We have been asking that Leo would intervene in this and now we hear that he has intervened with a Fianna Fáil TD; this is not the kind of intervention we were encouraging.’
Much of the public fallout and sniping has arisen over tensions about the Coalition’s handling of the housing crisis. Fine Gael TDs who have spoken publicly on the issue recently insist they are looking after the interests of the Government. One party TD said: ‘If we are underperforming in that sector, then surely all expertise is welcome.’