Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has accused Mayo TD Dr Jerry Cowley of "making political capital" out of the jailing of five Mayo residents over their opposition to the Corrib gas pipeline.
Mr Kenny, who is on holidays, said Dr Cowley had repeatedly called for his presence at recent public meetings in support of the five men, "despite being personally told by my office last Thursday that I was going abroad".
Dr Cowley has confirmed that he contacted Mr Kenny's Dáil office last Thursday to invite him to address a rally in Ballina on Saturday.
However, he said he was not informed that Mr Kenny was going on holidays and only learned this yesterday when he spoke to a Fine Gael senator in the Dáil.
In a statement yesterday, Mr Kenny said "the fact that he [ Dr Cowley] repeatedly attacks me and the Fine Gael party rather than the Government who are completely responsible for this mess, speaks for itself.
"The current licence regime was agreed by the Fianna Fáil Government and a Fianna Fáil Minister, and it was Fianna Fáil who controlled Mayo County Council which granted the initial planning permission for the terminal," Mr Kenny said.
"It was Minister Frank Fahey on behalf of a Fianna Fáil Government who authorised the pipeline from sea to terminal without planning permission or compulsory orders being required.
"The only initiative taken in the current impasse by the Government has been at my own instigation, that is to have an internationally approved assessment carried out on the health and safety aspects."
He said that since the relevant Minister did not show any great interest in the problem, he repeated his call for the direct intervention of the Taoiseach.
Mr Kenny's constituency colleague, Michael Ring supports an offshore terminal for the Corrib field, but Mr Kenny has so far made no public comment in support of this position.
Dr Cowley said it was legitimate to call on Mr Kenny now to make his position clear in the light of comments on Mid-West Radio by Mr Kenny's brother, Cllr Henry Kenny.
Cllr Kenny, Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, overturned an unopposed motion proposed by Cllr Tim Quinn (FF) at a council meeting last Monday which called on Shell to process gas from the Corrib field offshore.
