Dáil suspended as Kenny tells Paul Murphy to ‘toddle along’

The Dáil has been adjourned for the second time in a row about water charges, the amount collected so far and the manner in which Taoiseach Enda Kenny responded to questions.

Ceann Comhairle Sean Barrett suspended the sitting at the end of opposition leaders’ questions when a number of TDs objected to the way Mr Kenny responded to queries.

Socialist Party TD Paul Murphy repeatedly asked Mr Kenny how much Irish Water had received in payment following the issuing of the first quarterly bills.

The Taoiseach told him to “toddle along” to a meeting later this afternoon with Irish Water who would answer any questions he wanted.

He had earlier accused Mr Murphy of thinking he was like Caesar.

When Socialist Party TD Ruth Coppinger asked what was the point of leaders' questions, Mr Kenny replied: "It's to tell you where to go."

At that point, opposition TDs called on the Ceann Comhairle to intervene to defend their rights and ask the Taoiseach to withdraw his “disrespectful comments”.

Mr Barrett repeatedly asked Ms Coppinger and Independent TD Róisín Shortall to resume their seats before eventually adjourning the House for 10 minutes.

On its resumption, he called on the Taoiseach to announce the Order of Business, the setting out of the day’s Dáil agenda.

However, Ms Shortall intervened and again asked the Ceann Comhairle to request Mr Kenny to withdraw his “disrespectful remarks”.

Mr Barrett repeatedly called on her to resume her seat, without success. He then suspended the sitting for another 10 minutes.