BRIAN COWEN warned Fine Gael that he could organise Government TDs to heckle Enda Kenny during Opposition leaders' questions.
Amid heated exchanges, Fine Gael TDs accused the Taoiseach of not answering their leader's question on funding for palliative care. However, Mr Cowen claimed that their interruptions were preventing him from replying.
He warned Fine Gael health spokesman James Reilly that "every time his man [Mr Kenny] completes a sentence, I can have people roaring and shouting on this side if he wants''.
Earlier, Mr Kenny said that in 2006 and last year, when the Taoiseach was minister for finance, the Government had allocated €18 million and approved 130 posts for palliative care services.
However, by May of this year, less than half the approved posts had been filled and only one in three in the least developed regions.
Mr Cowen said there were budgetary pressures every year regarding health spending and managers had to manage the situation as they saw it.
"In some cases, this has meant that some new development areas have not seen the level of expenditure in a given financial year as was originally envisaged.''
Mr Kenny said that this did not answer the question. "How can we have a situation whereby Ministers are allocated, by the Minister for Finance, money for specific targets and objectives which, however, is not spent in those areas?''
As the exchanges continued, Mr Cowen said: "Every morning, the problem with the leader of the Opposition is that his party has not yet supported one initiative in regard to health service reform.''
Dr Reilly said the Taoiseach kept accusing people of playing the man and not the ball. "He should play the ball himself.''
Mr Cowen then gave his warning that he could have people "roaring and shouting'' on the Government side.
As the noisy exchanges intensified, Fine Gael deputies continued to challenge Mr Cowen to answer the question put to him by Mr Kenny. Addressing the Fine Gael benches, Mr Cowen said: "I want to answer the question, but I will make one point. If you keep that tactic up, I will make sure he [Mr Kenny] will not be heard in this House.''
Mr Kenny warned Mr Cowen that he would not silence Fine Gael. "I am not going to take that from any member of this House. The Taoiseach will not silence the Fine Gael party or any of its members.'' Mr Cowen said: "I will not be shouted down by the orchestrated tactic engaged in by the Opposition for months. That will not work with me.''
Padraic McCormack (FG, Galway West) accused Mr Cowen of filibustering.
Mr Cowen said he wanted to answer questions, "but if Opposition leaders' questions is about organising a shouting match, the Opposition will not get answers''.
Tom Hayes (FG, Tipperary South) said the Taoiseach might treat Fianna Fáil backbenchers like that but he would not do the same to the House.
Mr Cowen said that if Mr Kenny could not control his own party, that was his problem.
