Frances Fitzgerald accused of ‘evasion’ in heated row over Garda crisis

Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald was sharply criticised in the Dáil on Tuesday and accused of "evasion" in a heated row over her responsibility to answer questions in the House on the latest Garda controversy.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said that “since this crisis has broken the Minister has run for cover”.

Ms Fitzgerald had left the chamber when a row erupted over her responsibility to the House to deal with the issue and her state of knowledge about the controversy.

He said the suggestion that not telling the Policing Authority about the breath tests, recorded by the force that never happened, was an administrative error, was unbelievable and unacceptable.

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Mr Martin said the Dáil could not carry on regardless for the next three days with the person with political responsibility not dealing with the issue.

Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald said the least they should expect from the Minister for Justice was to make a statement to the House and to answer questions on the issue.

She accused the Taoiseach of spoofing and told him “your spoofing is overshadowed by the evasion of the Minister for Justice”.

Ms McDonald said the Tánaiste should tell the House the state of her knowledge.

Opposition parties and groups want the Minister to make a statement and answer questions, but Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghaíl granted a topical issue request for a number of TDs to ask questions after which the Tánaiste would respond, with the process repeated a second time.

But Labour leader Brendan Howlin said the Taoiseach had told the house that the Tánaiste had given a detailed briefing to the Cabinet.

“But the Tánaiste is constitutionally responsible to this House,” and he said that topical issues where people raised local issues “is not the way to deal with this”.

Solidarity TD Mick Barry said the Taoiseach was behaving as he had in the previous government when he had a "thumping majority".

The Ceann Comhairle said a special notice request had been submitted but it did not comply with the terms of standing orders and was not accepted.

After a heated 10 minutes debate it was eventually agreed the business committee would meet to deal with the issue of how the Tánaiste would address the House.