Timmy Dooley concedes Brexit remarks ‘a little harsh’

Fianna Fáil’s communications spokesman Timmy Dooley has admitted that his tweet earlier this week criticising the Taoiseach was “ill-timed and a little harsh”.

Mr Dooley tweeted on Tuesday that a “standoff” with the United Kingdom was a “direct result of Taoiseach Varadkars (sic ) failure to engage in basic diplomacy over the past 2 years”.

At the time of the tweet, Mr Varadkar had not yet spoken to Boris Johnson, the new British prime minister, although the pair spoke later on Tuesday morning.

Following his communications spokesman's remarks Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin restated his party's position on Brexit.

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When asked if he had apologised to Mr Varadkar, the Clare TD told RTÉ radio’s News at One that Mr Varadkar was “well used to the cut and thrust of politics” and that his comments had been “part of the normal political banter that goes on”.

He removed the tweet when he concluded it was sending a message that was being misinterpreted “and being used in a way that was negative”.

The tweet had been “seized on in an unfortunate way and had been taken out of context, saying that I wasn’t supportive of [his party’s position on] Brexit”.

Mr Dooley said nothing could be further from the truth. The tweet had been about “domestic politics” and had nothing to do with his position on Brexit.