FG is accused of being undemocratic

There were heated and bitter exchanges between the Minister for Justice and Fine Gael deputies at the conclusion of the second stage debate on the referendum Bill.

They began with a procedural wrangle relating to whether Mr McDowell was entitled to wind up the debate on the behalf of the Government.

Amid the exchanges, the Minister accused Opposition deputies of disruptive tactics. "They have been deliberately unleashed by people who have no respect for democracy." It did not surprise him that Fine Gael spokespeople had taken to shouting down Ministers.

"Yesterday morning, I had one of the saddest experiences of my life when, on a second stage debate in this House, members behaved in a manner more fitting for a bar-room brawl than a parliamentary debate.

"Shouting down a Minister, as happened constantly yesterday and today, is an attack on democracy itself. I am here as a Minister of the Irish Government elected by the Irish people." Members of Fine Gael, he said, would tell their TDs that they were disgracing themselves.

Mr Bernard Durkan (FG, Kildare North) accused the Minister of insulting members of the House. "You should be an emperor." Mr Paul McGrath (FG, Westmeath) insisted that no order had been made to allow the Minister conclude the debate.

When the Leas Cheann Comhairle, Mr Séamus Pattison, said that it was in order for Mr McDowell to speak, Mr McGrath replied: "You are overstepping your role." Mr Joe Costello, Labour spokesman on justice, agreed.

After some further exchanges, Mr Pattison called on Mr McDowell to begin his speech. However, Mr McGrath continued to speak, insisting that he was entitled to make a point of order. When Mr Pattison ignored him, Mr McGrath remarked: "Have you gone totally deaf?"

A reference by Mr McDowell to this weekend's Fine Gael ard-fheis prompted deputies to remind him that he had once been a member of the party. "At least you will not be at the ard-fheis," said Mr Durkan. "You were there in 1979." Mr McGrath said: "You jumped ship."

Defending the referendum, Mr McDowell said there was nothing racist about the proposal. "I trust that when all the theatricals are over, the Fine Gael party will sober up and join the Government in bringing about this necessary change to our Constitution."

Ms Joan Burton (Labour, Dublin West) said she was sure that Ministers had thought the referendum was a master stroke. "Today the whole idea must seem even to them rather more threadbare as a sceptical public and media pile doubt on doubt both as to motive, timing and content of what is proposed."

Mr Aengus Ó Snodaigh (SF, Dublin South Central) claimed the proposal was another front in the Minister's war on a rights-based society, his war on immigration and the Belfast Agreement.