The Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Ms Coughlan, defended her performance in Government against a sharp attack from Labour TD Ms Kathleen Lynch. Marie O'Halloran reports.
The Cork North Central deputy claimed the "colour co-ordinated" Minister did not know the hardship she had created for others and did not care.
It was "all about press conferences, the soft picture and the nice things in life, and please do not mention the horror stories or the awful things that happen to people as a result of budget cutbacks".
Ms Coughlan retorted: "What I wear, how I look and my personality have absolutely nothing to do with anyone else".
She was as "sincere as any other member of the House, and I care as much as any other member. I represent a constituency with the highest level of unemployment in Ireland."
The row started during the final debate on the Social Welfare Miscellaneous Provisions Bill, which was passed by 61 to 45 votes. The Bill will allow for increased social welfare payments from April 1st, and for some cutbacks, including the cap on rent supplement.
Ms Lynch said the changes in the cap on rent supplement meant that people were being made homeless, but the Minister "swans in and laughs about the whole thing", and did not care because the homeless did not vote.
The most cynical thing Ms Lynch said she had seen in a long time was the "colour co-ordinated" Minister stating at a press conference that she would make €1 million available for family support measures.
It was for the UN Year of the Family "even though I stood up here on several occasions to tell her about the family in Cork she made homeless", and who would not benefit from this money.
Ms Coughlan said that when difficulties arose she liked to deal with them on people's behalf.
She also pointed out that Section 31 of the legislation "grants more power than has ever before been given to public servants".
Community welfare officers had complete flexibility in making decisions, but people could be over-flexible and she had expressed concerns to the CEOs of health boards.
The Minister said she "nearly died" when she saw that in Deputy Lynch's health board exceptional needs payments had been given to 25 people to do forklift-driving courses. Under no circumstances could she stand over such payments, Ms Coughlan told the Dáil.