There were heated exchanges when the Tanaiste strongly denied a Fine Gael charge that she had misled the House when answering questions about Fruit of the Loom plants in Donegal. The Fine Gael deputy leader, Mrs Nora Owen, said it would appear Ms Harney had misled the House on June 30th last when "Is she intending to come into the Dail to clarify the position about what knowledge she had about the jobs lost in Fruit of the Loom?"
Addressing the Tanaiste, Mr Sean Barrett (FG, Dun Laogh aire) said: "At long last you are being shown up for what you are." If Mr Barrett would not withdraw his comments, Ms Harney said she would ask his leader to do so. "I will not have anybody question what I said in this House."
Amid noisy exchanges, Ms Harney asked if the Fine Gael deputies had heard the chief executive of the IDA on RTE Radio earlier in the morning. He had made the facts clear. A visibly angry Ms Harney added: "I did not mislead the House."