A Labour Party TD was ordered from the Dáil yesterday in a row about funding for agencies helping Irish emigrants in Britain, writes Marie O'Halloran.
Mr Emmet Stagg, the party's North Kildare TD, was suspended after he repeatedly intervened during Leaders' questions. He shouted that the Government was giving "no money, no money, no money" to Irish emigrant agencies, as the Taoiseach outlined State supports to emigrants.
Mr Ahern said the Government had decided not to set up a dedicated agency for emigrants, which a task force had recommended.
Instead, a unit in the Department of Foreign Affairs would decide on emigrant issues and other recommendations of the task force.
About 50 of the 70 recommendations were being implemented and development officers were being placed in communities.
But Mr Stagg intervened and said: "There is no money. The emigrants sent back €3.5 billion and we have no money for them. The Taoiseach is miserable."
The Labour chief whip had made a passionate address to the Dáil last month during a debate on the plight of Irish emigrants of the 1950s and 1960s, who were now living in appalling conditions in British cities.
Mr Ahern was responding yesterday to the Labour leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, who asked about the provision the State was making for those emigrants. He said the task force recommended the establishment of an agency for the Irish abroad and increased funding of €18 million for 2003. "The response of the Minister for Foreign Affairs was to cut €2.7 million that had been provided, to €2.5 million in 2003."
Mr Rabbitte said the Taoiseach "can provide €18 million to store electronic voting equipment" but could not provide that kind of money for people who kept families alive in parts of Ireland in those years.
The Taoiseach said €18 million had been given since 1997 and insisted that substantial money was being provided.
But Mr Stagg interrupted: "Last year, €18 million was given to Punchestown and Díon (Shelter) only gets something like €2.5 million."
The Ceann Comhairle had warned Mr Stagg he would be suspended if he kept intervening and, after repeated interruptions, Mr Stagg left the chamber.
Labour's social and family affairs spokesman, Mr Willie Penrose, said that "is what we got from Fianna Fáil, a one-way ticket out of the country".