Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald accused the Minister for Education of sexism during heated Dáil exchanges on Alan Shatter’s resignation.

Ruairí Quinn said he never ceased to be amazed at the warm affection and “motherly concern’’ Ms McDonald expressed for the wellbeing and future of the Labour Party.

“I cherish it deeply and know that we are well-liked and minded by you . . . and that if we ever begin to go somewhat astray, you will, in a careful way, look after us.’’

Ms McDonald said Mr Quinn’s reference to her as motherly, “to the cackles of your almost exclusively male audience’’, did not go down well with her or mothers who might be watching the proceedings.

“I do not appreciate the tone of that remark,” she added. She said that she knew “a sexist undertone’’ when she heard one.

Responsibility
Earlier, Ms McDonald said Mr Shatter had accepted no responsibility for what had gone wrong under his remit.

“But, then, why should he, when the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste and the Cabinet, and the backbenchers of Fine Gael and Labour, have defended his actions in this Dáil and in the media.”

She said the House was being told that Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore had known about Mr Shatter’s resignation in mid-afternoon.

“He certainly did not know about it at lunchtime and your colleague, Joan Burton, did not know about these matters early yesterday morning because she was on the airwaves, reiterating her confidence in Alan Shatter.’’

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said the Taoiseach had announced the resignation of the former minister at 4.30pm on Wednesday. It was very unfortunate it happened when members of the House had not seen the Guerin report.

He said it was surprising the Tánaiste, even at lunchtime on Wednesday, defended Mr Shatter as minister and confirmed he had confidence in him.

“That is against the background of the receipt of the Guerin report by the Taoiseach’s office in the previous evening,’ he said.

Mr Quinn said the Tánaiste had been informed in the mid-afternoon Mr Shatter had tendered his resignation. A meeting of the Labour parliamentary party was under way when the Taoiseach made the announcement in the Dáil.

Mr Martin said he found it extraordinary the Taoiseach did not bring the Tánaiste into his confidence earlier regarding the report and its potential implications for the minister’s status.