Minister of State Tom Parlon has rejected a Government backbencher's allegations that he had shown an "appalling disrespect" for the Dáil, in a row over ministers not attending adjournment debates in their areas of responsibility.
Former agriculture minister Joe Walsh made the initial accusation last week when he withdrew a request for a debate on the adjournment about decentralisation to Clonakilty, Co Cork, because Mr Parlon was not in the chamber to answer.
Mr Parlon was president of the Irish Farmers Association when Mr Walsh was minister for agriculture.
Mr Walsh said the Minister had been there a few minutes earlier and it was an "appalling disrespect" and "lack of interest" that Mr Parlon "would not bother to come in and take the question".
This week, when the item was resubmitted for debate, an angry Mr Parlon said he was "quite annoyed" at Mr Walsh's remarks. There was a late Dáil sitting last week and "I had an important personal appointment to fulfil".
Usually four adjournment debates are taken each evening at the end of the official Dáil sitting, when backbenchers can raise local or national issues and receive an official response from the appropriate minister or a minister designated to respond.
In the argument raised by Mr Walsh, Mr Parlon rejected his claim of appalling disrespect and said "there was no disrespect. I could not be present".
He added: "It is quite normal, depending on circumstances, for different ministers to take adjournment debates in the House."
Mr Walsh insisted, however, that "the Minister of State had been in the chamber a few minutes previously. I thought then, and still think, that it was appalling for the Minister to walk out in front of me, leaving me in the chamber without answering my question."
When Mr Parlon pointed out that Minister of State Tim O'Malley had been in the chamber "with a full Government response to the deputy's question", Mr Walsh replied that Mr O'Malley was not the minister with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW).
Dismissing the accusation of an "appalling lack of interest" in decentralisation to west Cork, Mr Parlon said to Mr Walsh: "You of all people should be most aware that Clonakilty has advanced further than most projects because of my input and that of the OPW".
He added that the OPW had identified offices in the Clonakilty area that could accommodate 50 staff and further office space to cater for up to 60 others for the decentralisation of parts of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and Bord Iascaigh Mhara.
Mr Parlon pointed out that the department had approved the accommodation and it had been referred to the Department of Finance but "the Minister has not yet given his sanction", he said of his constituency colleague Minister for Finance Brian Cowen.
