FINE GAEL REACTION:FINE GAEL leader Enda Kenny has continued to defend his party's withdrawal of a pairing arrangement from Tánaiste Mary Coughlan
Mr Kenny accused Ministers of treating the Dáil with contempt, and claimed Fianna Fáil had closed down the Dáil for 12 weeks, during which time Ms Coughlan could have rescheduled the Enterprise Ireland trip. She could have made her visit on Thursday evening of this week.
“The Dáil closed down for 12 weeks, three months, and on the first day back the deputy prime minister wants to be in America and be absent on the Thursday when the Taoiseach will not turn up either,” Mr Kenny said.
The Fine Gael leader said his party would not tolerate a situation where Ministers could plan schedules as if Dáil Éireann did not exist. “They are elected and paid to be constitutionally responsible to that Chamber.”
Mr Kenny said he could remember travelling to and from the US as a Minister on the same day because of Dáil sittings. Fine Gael remained prepared to grant pairs to Ministers when attending formal meetings of the European Council and North-South bodies and in the case of TDs who were ill.
However, Labour education spokesman Ruairí Quinn said he believed the Tánaiste should be facilitated in making the trip.
Mr Quinn said the presence of Ministers on a trade mission, and particularly the presence of a tánaiste, made all the difference.
“Of course, we want to get this desperate Government out of office quickly, but we have to put the country first.”
In a statement Fine Gael spokesman on education Fergus O’Dowd expressed concern “that a public servant went out on national media at lunchtime today and failed to confirm that this conference, which Enterprise Ireland are attending for the three days, was actually running on Thursday, Friday and Saturday”.
Mr O'Dowd was referring to an appearance by Frank Ryan of Enterprise Ireland on RTÉ Radio 1's News at One. Mr Ryan said Ms Coughlan's attendance at education fairs in the US would help attract more students to Ireland and boost the economy.
Asked if he would appeal to Mr Quinn not to offer the Tánaiste a pair, Mr O’Dowd said Labour policy was not a matter for him.