FINE GAEL:TWO SENIOR Fine Gael TDs clashed last night over comments comparing Taoiseach Brian Cowen to former Fine Gael taoiseach Garret FitzGerald.
The party’s spokesman on enterprise, Leo Varadkar, during an exchange with the Taoiseach in the Dáil yesterday, likened Mr Cowen to Dr FitzGerald.
In the course of the debate on the Cabinet reshuffle, Mr Varadkar told Mr Cowen that he was no Seán Lemass, no Jack Lynch but was like Dr FitzGerald, who he contended had tripled the national debt and had effectively destroyed the country.
He also suggested to Mr Cowen that he should "enjoy writing boring articles in The Irish Timesin a few years' time".
This was also taken as a reference to Dr FitzGerald.
However, Mr Varadkar was later taken to task by his frontbench colleague Fergus O’Dowd, who described his portrayal of the former Fine Gael leader as “disgraceful”.
On his Twitter site last night, Mr O’Dowd wrote: “Leo Varadkar must apologise and withdraw his insulting Dáil comments with regards to Garret FitzGerald, disgraceful.” In other entries on the mini-blogging site, he also praised Dr FitzGerald for his contribution to Irish politics.
“Garret FitzGerald’s vision of social justice and a caring Ireland will be seen as the major reforming force in our time,” said one.
Mr O’Dowd also wrote that the former Fine Gael leader had “attracted thousands of voters to Fine Gael including myself. He was a reforming and caring politician.” Neither Mr O’Dowd nor Mr Varadkar was available for comment last night.
A Fine Gael spokesman said that he was not worried about the colourful manner in which Leo Varadkar had expressed his opinions in the Dáil last night.