Uproar after FF claims De Rossa misled the House

THE Dail was adjourned amid uproar for 15 minutes as Fianna Fail renewed its charge that the Minister for Social Welfare had misled the House.

Mr De Rossa has consistently denied the claim that he misled the Dail when he said that five appointments to his private office had not been advertised.

But Fianna Fail insists that a notice of the appointments in the Democratic Left publication, Forum, constituted an advertisement.

Fianna Fail deputies again raised the matter yesterday, urging the Taoiseach to provide Government time to debate a party motion on the controversy.

Mr David Andrews (FF, Dun Laoghaire) produced a copy of the Forum notice. Amid noisy and bitter exchanges, the Ceann Comhairle, Mr Sean Treacy, said that the matter was not relevant to the Order of Business.

Mr Ben Briscoe (FF, Dublin South Central) said that in his 21 years in the House he had never seen such abuse of the Dail as in the case of Mr De Rossa.

Addressing the Minister for Social Welfare, the Fianna Fail spokesman on social welfare, Mr Joe Walsh, said: "You are a liar." A clearly angry Mr De Rossa, who was sitting on the Government benches next to the Taoiseach, rose to his feet, declaring: "That man should withdraw that remark."

As the noisy exchanges intensified, Mr De Rossa described Mr Walsh as "the beef tribunal man". Mr Walsh retorted: "You have been found out."

Mr De Rossa insisted that Mr Walsh's accusation of lying should be withdrawn, but Mr Treacy said that he had heard no such remark. Amid the largely inaudible exchanges, Mr Eoin Ryan (FF, Dublin South East) accused Mr De Rossa of representing a failed ideology.

Mr Treacy said he had not observed such gross disorder in the House for a considerable time. If it persisted, he would have no option but to adjourn the proceedings.

As the shouting continued, he suspended the sitting for 15 minutes. The exchanges between Mr De Rossa and Fianna Fail deputies continued in the lobby as they left the chamber.

When the House resumed, Mr Treacy said that the Order of Business had gone on for an inordinate length of time in most unruly circumstances. He called the next business, which was the resumed Budget debate.

Earlier, Mr Tom Kitt (FF, Dublin South) was expelled from the House after he continued to speak on the issue. He said that the integrity of the Dail was paramount and should be preserved.

When he refused the instruction of the Ceann Comhairle to resume his seat, he was "named" by the Taoiseach, Mr Bruton. On a division, his expulsion was carried by 62 votes to 39.

When Mr Andrews accused the Ceann Comhairle of bullying Mr Kitt out of the House, Mr Treacy replied: "How dare you? I resent your remarks."