Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald ordered out of Dáil over ‘bias’ remark

Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald was ordered out of the Dáil this afternoon after clashing with the Ceann Comhairle Sean Barrett during the Budget debate.

Ms McDonald complained she was being heckled by Government TDs. When Mr Barrett said she should address her remarks to the Ceann Comhairle under the rules of the House, Ms McDonald said his intervention was “biased’’.

“Thank you for that very helpful intervention, Ceann Comhairle,’’ she said, adding that Mr Barrett’s intervention was “deliberately destructive’’.

When Mr Barrett asked her to withdraw her remarks, she refused to do so. She was ordered from the House and, as she left the chamber, she said the incident was “ridiculous’’.

Sinn Féin finance spokesman Pearse Doherty accused the Government of failing to listen when drafting the Budget.

Mr Doherty said it was hoped it would rebuild the economy, renew society and repair communities, but this did not happen. It was a two-tier Budget, he said, with tax cuts for the better-off while the rest were “left to rot”.

“The more people hear of economic recovery the more it jars with the reality of their own lives that are not getting any better,’’ he added.

While there was a recovery taking place, it was for the few and not for the many, he said.

Mr Doherty said what was needed was €1 billion to get to grips with the social housing and homelessness crisis. "That is the kind of urgent response that the housing and homeless crisis needs,'' he added. "Once again, it is a case of too little, too late from Fine Gael and Labour. ''

He said that when the cuts to the household benefit package was added to the cost of water charges, pensioners and people with disability were already hundreds of euro worse off.

“The idea that €100 would in any way compensate for what you have done to these people is an insult, Minister,’’ he added.

Mr Doherty said there would be almost 200,000 people on the live register with zero support towards the cost of water. He said that while any increase in child benefit was to be welcomed, the €5 increase did not conceal the fact that there had been cuts in that area. Struggling families would barely notice the increase, he added.

The one-off Christmas bonus did not hide the fact that people were struggling all year, he said.

Ms McDonald earlier said the Budget had been billed as marking an end to austerity. It was anything but a neutral budget, she added.

“This budget confirms, once again, that Fine Gael and Labour in government are out of touch with the realities of people’s lives…that you cannot grasp the struggle to get by the length and breadth of the country.”