Mr Maurice Manning, Fine Gael leader in the House, accused the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ms Liz O'Donnell, of making a gratuitous and offensive attack on the Catholic Church.
Mr Manning said he had not intended to get into the controversy surrounding last Monday's State reception in Dublin Castle for Cardinal Connell, but he found the comments of Ms O'Donnell "a bit rich".
"The one group which behaved with total propriety in this entire controversy has been the Catholic Church and the Cardinal, and for the Minister to come in and gratuitously and offensively attack the Catholic Church for its role last Monday night . . ."
The Cathaoirleach, Mr Brian Mullooly, intervened to say he would prefer that such a controversial matter, which was not relevant to the Order of Business, should not be raised.
Mr Manning said the utterly offensive remarks of the Minister were unfair in the context. He asked that an early debate be facilitated on the matter.
Mr Shane Ross (Ind) said there were issues that could be discussed without alluding to the personalities involved.
"As a black Protestant, I fully endorse what Senator Manning said. The Roman Catholic Church has behaved very well and with immense dignity in this controversy and has been put in great political difficulty."
Mr Joe Costello (Lab) said he would not get involved in the controversy between church and State, but the general issues could be addressed in an open logical debate. The proper protocols that operated in both church and State required discussion in that each operated independently. This controversy could have been avoided if there had been a clear elaboration of what those protocols were and how the State conducted its business.
Mr David Norris (Ind) said he supported the calls for a debate on redefining the relationship between church and State. "It is an important debate although the circumstances are a bit unfortunate. Everybody who was a principal player in this situation was hurt and upset about it.
"We have to look at the facts that there are people who are in second relationships and relationships outside marriage who deserve dignity, and I deplore the opportunism of some members of the Church of Ireland clergy who seemed to jump on the bandwagon and upstaged the Roman Catholic Church."
Mr Norris said he was calling for a debate so that they could redefine the relationships between church and State. "I think they have changed since the Constitution of 1937, but I do not think it should be used as a device for hammering the Roman Catholic Church."
Mr Joe Doyle (FG) said it was an extraordinary state of affairs when the State honoured an individual in a very special way for the high office he had received and then, on the other hand, attacked that individual and the institution he represented.
The leader of the House, Mr Donie Cassidy, said he would give consideration to the requests for a debate.