GREEN PARTY TD Paul Gogarty has taken the metaphor of his party being cosy bedfellows with Fianna Fáil to new heights.
In an expletive-laden interview in Hot Press, the Dublin Mid West TD comments on the price of power and his own doubts about the Coalition arrangement. He describes it in terms of the Greens lying “bollix naked” and being “screwed” by Fianna Fáil.
He also says party leader John Gormley “would cut your throat if it means doing the right thing”.
Mr Gogarty (40) asserts that by going into Coalition or, as he puts it, getting into bed with another party, the Greens had prostituted itself.
In the same vein, he continues: “We are lying there bollix naked next to Fianna Fáil. We have been screwed by them a few times, but we are hoping we can roll them around to get what we want, over the longer terms.”
At another point in the interview, he says Mr Gormley has gone “a bit within himself” since being appointed a Minister.
“He’s not a cuddly teddy bear. He’s one of the good guys, but he’s like one of these hippos that, if you stand on his tail, he will demolish you.
“John has balls and will fight his corner. He’ll cut your throat if it means doing the right thing, but the question is: have we the balls to put it to Fianna Fáil and has he taken his share of responsibility? The jury is still out.”
Criticising his party’s strategy, he says: “You are always going to get stupid things . . . pushed beyond their importance, [like] bikes and bulbs.”
He claims that the Greens had a behind-the-scenes influence in Bertie Ahern’s decision to resign. He adds that he detests “everything that cute-hoor Fianna Fáil stands for”.
Of his Dáil colleagues, he describes Mayo Fianna Fáil TD Beverley Flynn as handsome pretty, saying she has a certain nobility about the way she carries herself.
“And Mary Coughlan now! She has a very flirty way about her. I’d flirt with anyone! Even if I’m married I’ll flirt with people.”
It is not the first time that Mr Gogarty has been in the public eye for unusual or eccentric gestures. At a public meeting in November, he fell to the floor and remained motionless as if he were dead, when Frances Fitzgerald criticised Mr Gormley at a public meeting.
“I just kinda fell on the floor in absolute puzzlement,” he said. “She always induces that sort of reaction in me,” he added.
“Hypocrisy and false indignation . . . has a damaging effect on my psyche.”
The Green Party’s Government spokesman said: “Mr Gogarty was speaking in a personal capacity.”