Gogarty in more trouble after calling Fianna Fail 'cute hoors'
Outburst: Green Party backbencher Paul Gogarty lost it during the Dail debate on social welfare cuts as he was heckled by Labour TDs
Green Party leader John Gormley is very disappointed with Paul Gogarty's Dail outburst, but said the Green TD is unlikely to suffer any further sanction for saying "fuck you" in the Dail.
But Mr Gogarty is likely to land himself in further hot water with his government partner after branding Fianna Fail "cute hoors" and declaring he hopes they get "a drumming" in the next election.
Mr Gogarty made the comments in a recent interview with a Green magazine.
"Fianna Fail members are cute hoors but they also realise that politics is about people. FF has an innate understanding of people. It doesn't mean they haven't screwed the general public over the years, because their real friends have been developers and big business. I hope Fianna Fail gets a drumming in the next election," he said.
During the interview he also acknowledged his eccentric side. "If I'm talking to students in a class, I sometimes say: 'right, here is my drink lecture.' I get up on a table, sing for a second, jump up and down and say, 'there you go, you don't have to be drunk to be totally bonkers'.
"For me, because I have a journalistic background, I am prone to making mistakes. I have also been questioned about my sexuality -- but come on, I was into New Romantic bands," he said, referring to the Hot Press interview where he said he thinks he may be 25 per cent gay, although he has a wife and two children.
Mr Gogarty has written to new Ceann Comhairle Seamus Kirk to apologise and the matter is to be raised at an in-house Oireachtas Committee meeting on Tuesday.
Mr Gormley's spokesman said yesterday: "That language is not acceptable. But he has apologised and withdrawn his comments."
The outburst came during a debate on the social welfare bill. Mr Gogarty was being heckled by several members of the Labour Party.
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
Gogarty: "I respected the deputy's sincerity and I ask him to respect mine."
Stagg: "The deputy does not seem very sincere from what he has been saying."
Chairman: "Deputy Stagg will have his opportunity in a few minutes."
Gogarty: "With all due respect, in the most unparliamentary language, fuck you Deputy Stagg. Fuck you."
Chairman: "Hey. Excuse me, Deputy Gogarty, that is most unparliamentary language."
Gogarty: "I apologise now for my use of unparliamentary language."
Shortall: "How dare he."
Chairman: "Could the Deputy please withdraw that?"
Gogarty: "It is most unparliamentary language and I now withdraw it and apologise."
- DANIEL McCONNELL and MIMI DUFFY
Originally published in
