Taoiseach accuses TD of being ‘ambiguous’ on democracy

There were heated exchanges in the Dáil when the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar accused Solidarity TD Mick Barry of being "ambiguous" about democracy.

The row erupted during leaders’ questions when Mr Barry asked about proposals to store gas imported from the US in Cork.

He asked if the Government had been lobbied about the issue and if it would ban the importation of gas sourced by fracking.

Mr Barry said the company involved wanted to frack gas in the Rio Grande, liquefy it and import it into Cork and is expected to submit a planning application before the end of the year.

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The Cork North-Central TD said the Government had banned fracking in Ireland but were they now going to allow it “through the back door” in Cork or in Shannon.

The Taoiseach said he had not been lobbied on the issue but he said “lobbying is not a crime” and that politicians and Ministers were lobbied all the time by all sorts of organisations and it was part of the democratic process.

'Independent process'

He added that there was an independent planning process, and everyone had a right to object or protest.

He said they may not be able to ban the importation of fracked gas under international agreements but he would investigate that.

Mr Barry warned that the Taoiseach was walking into “something of a storm on this issue” and he should change course.

He said two million people had signed an online petition against fracked gas in Cork.

But the protest on cyberspace would become a protest on the ground.

Mr Varadkar said “it’s not about riots but about people engaging in a proper democratic process”.

When he told Mr Barry that “I know you are at best ambiguous about your support for democracy,” the Cork North-Central TD called for him to withdraw the remark.

The Taoiseach said he would withdraw the comment if Mr Barry condemned Venezuela and Cuba because he had been very supportive of “far left regimes”.

He was not referring to the Soviet regimes of Stalin or Lenin, but to current regimes including Venezuela and Cuba.

To repeated heckling he added: “I’d be happy to withdraw if the deputy can show me evidence of his campaign for free and fair elections in Venezuela and Cuba”.

Mr Varadkar said there was a planning process and if there was an application people had a right to object and there would be a hearing and a decision and that was how a democracy worked.