The Green Party TD, Mr Paul Gogarty, has rejected Fianna Fáil accusations that he stuck out his tongue at the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, during a Dáil exchange yesterday.
However, the Dublin West TD admitted that he had gestured in that fashion to a number of FF backbenchers, including the Limerick West TD, Mr John Cregan, because they were heckling him.
"I did not make the gesture in the direction of the Taoiseach. I would much prefer to get into proper debate with him," he said.
Mr Cregan wrote to the Ceann Comhairle, Dr Rory O'Hanlon, to complain about Mr Gogarty's conduct.
He asked the Ceann Comhairle to seek an apology to both the Taoiseach and the Dáil from Mr Gogarty, who was first elected in last May's general election.
However, the Ceann Comhairle does not intend to discipline Mr Gogarty because, under Dáil rules, he cannot act unless he, or a deputy, witnesses an alleged breach of Dáil etiquette.
Mr Gogarty said he had made "a non-obscene, non-verbal gesture" to the backbenchers because he did not wish to interrupt the Taoiseach as he answered a question during the Dáil's Order of Business.
He said he reserved the right to act in a similar fashion in future if Mr Cregan and his Dublin West colleague, Mr John Curran, "failed to get involved in intelligent debate".
