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Seán Barrett got into another almighty row with a TD in the Dáil this evening

After a quiet few months, the Ceann Comhairle was back to his angry best this evening.

Screen Shot 2015-03-31 at 18.02.11 Oireachtas TV Oireachtas TV

FIANNA FÁIL TD John McGuinness was ordered to leave the Dáil chamber this evening after a blazing row with the Ceann Comhairle Seán Barrett.

After a quiet few months, Barrett was back to his angry best this evening when he clashed with McGuinness, who refused to resume his seat during the Order of Business.

Screen Shot 2015-03-31 at 18.02.19 Oireachtas TV Oireachtas TV

McGuinness wanted answers from the Taoiseach in relation to the case of Shane O’Farrell, who was killed in a hit-and-run in 2011 and whose family claim they were failed by State authorities, including gardaí and the DPP.

As McGuinness refused to take his seat, Barrett launched into him, repeatedly ordering him to sit down.

McGuinness asked Barrett to direct Kenny to answer his question, but the Ceann Comhairle was having none of it.

Watch:

Video: Oireachtas / TheJournal.ie/YouTube

At the end, McGuinness agreed to leave the house out of respect to the chair, but made inaudible comments which prompted Barrett to remark: “Oh, that’s very insulting isn’t it?”

As he left the chamber, McGuinness replied: “I dunno. It’s probably accurate though.”

mcguinness leaves Oireachtas TV Oireachtas TV

Barrett concluded: “You should be ashamed of yourself.”

Read: People are complaining about the same rowdy TDs being rowdy in the Dáil every day

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72 Comments
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    Mute dj dangermouse
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    Mar 31st 2015, 6:08 PM

    And these are the people that are supposed to be running the country.God help us all.

    609
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    Mute Angry Squirrel
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    Mar 31st 2015, 6:44 PM

    Yep this Barrett guy seems to be a law onto himself. im no fan of FF either but how many TDs have been thrown out of the chamber in the last year and a half, more than I can remember before. If he doesn’t like the question just chuck em out the door seems to be his answer for everything.

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    Mute John Fahey
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    Mar 31st 2015, 7:36 PM

    I think it’s more to do with politicians having discovered its an easy way to free publicity.

    The rules of the Dail are when the chair stands up, all deputies must take their seats. He failed to do this and wanted to make a show of it. In order to run a big meeting which can have over 100 people, which is essentially you need rules and they must be adhered to, otherwise it’s not a productive use of time. If I behaved like this in work, my manager would be taking me aside.

    Personally I feel I’m part of the problem having clicked on this story!

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    Mute Richard Cynical
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    Mar 31st 2015, 8:29 PM

    Why didn’t he just ask enda to ans the question, he is a wedge between us and the government answering the real questions.

    217
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    Mute John
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    Mar 31st 2015, 9:42 PM

    What do you want ? Fu****g anarchy. Cop yourself on ffs.

    27
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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Mar 31st 2015, 9:50 PM

    It would be nice to have a parliament that holds the government to account.
    - that is not anarchy, but you wouldn’t understand that, would you, John?

    135
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    Mute Alan Byrne
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    Mar 31st 2015, 6:09 PM

    He’s an aul bollox

    586
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    Mute Joe Sullivan
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    Mar 31st 2015, 6:19 PM

    An empty corrupt vessel makes the most noise.

    352
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    Mute Gonzo Doyle
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    Mar 31st 2015, 6:23 PM

    That man should be in a home not trying to control the goons in the dail.

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    Mute Keith Masterson
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    Mar 31st 2015, 6:56 PM

    Ah at last a swear word that is not censored by the journal… Bollox!

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    Mute Del
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    Mar 31st 2015, 7:51 PM

    we can say bollox?

    129
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    Mute Denis O Brien
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    Mar 31st 2015, 9:19 PM

    you can say shite too, and piss

    76
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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Mar 31st 2015, 9:52 PM

    All of which are on-topic when Barrett is the subject.

    67
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    Mute Al Beebak
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    Mar 31st 2015, 6:06 PM

    This dinosaur needs to be fossilised

    464
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    Mute Con Manne
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    Mar 31st 2015, 6:16 PM

    Sorry to scratch a wound but Clarkson would be perfect in this job.

    205
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    Mute Real Shinnerbot
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    Mar 31st 2015, 6:24 PM

    McGuinness should stage a sit-in… works every time.

    74
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    Mute James Comiskey
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    Mar 31st 2015, 7:29 PM

    shinnerbot , you can’t just use a Dail sit in willy nilly . You have to wait till your party is up to it’s neck is a sex abuse scandal and use it as a distraction ploy . You won’t get very far with that laissez faire attitude .

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    Mute markyg
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    Mar 31st 2015, 6:18 PM

    Ah edna’s babysitter

    380
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    Mute Glen
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    Mar 31st 2015, 6:07 PM

    The crankiest Ceann Comhairle ever.

    375
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    Mute Seán McMahon
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    Mar 31st 2015, 6:26 PM

    Try incompetent.

    328
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    Mute Glen
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    Mar 31st 2015, 6:29 PM

    The most crankiest incompetent Ceann Comhairle ever.

    334
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    Mute Seán McMahon
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    Mar 31st 2015, 6:34 PM

    Haha! Try the epitome of everything that is wrong with Irish politics.

    184
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    Mute Glen
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    Mar 31st 2015, 6:36 PM

    I have to say Alan Byrne has summed him up the best on this thread.

    93
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    Mute Christy Nolan
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    Mar 31st 2015, 6:14 PM

    Four years of unanswered questions and now they want to alter the proclamation.
    Time for the dictators to go.

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    Mute Charles Rex
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    Mar 31st 2015, 6:30 PM

    Who is altering the proclamation christy?

    23
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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Mar 31st 2015, 9:54 PM

    They are attempting to debase it, Charles.

    38
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    Mute mrmeade
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    Mar 31st 2015, 7:14 PM

    Barrett is FG’s Mudguard. hes there to deflect the shit away from his overlord Kenny.

    214
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    Mute Tony Hartigan
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    Mar 31st 2015, 7:13 PM

    He is the Fine Gael protector.

    204
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    Mute littleone
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    Mar 31st 2015, 6:44 PM

    They are worse than children in a playground. One won’t answer questions. Then some one gets annoyed. Then Barrett acts like a bully and a bouncer. Ridiculous carry on. It would not be so bad if questions that were asked were answered. But then that’s not what happens in the dail. You would be waiting a long time to hear an answer .

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    Mute Gis Bayertz
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    Mar 31st 2015, 6:15 PM

    What a clown this man is

    149
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    Mute Thosj Carroll
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    Mar 31st 2015, 6:43 PM

    Can’t believe Sean Barrett is in news again! What’s up with him? He should attend anger management course!

    130
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    Mute Startled Sapien
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    Mar 31st 2015, 7:29 PM

    And what if his partner isn’t interested? He’d be even worse! Standing up in the Dail and pointing at people with his hands by his sides!

    37
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    Mute Startled Sapien
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    Mar 31st 2015, 7:32 PM

    New meaning the the phrase “cloak and dagger”.

    31
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    Mute Mark Gerard Lochlain
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    Mar 31st 2015, 6:39 PM

    New ceann comhairle needed now!!! What a so-in-so

    119
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    Mute David Power
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    Mar 31st 2015, 7:52 PM

    This is just funny the Ceann Comhairle “Deputy” I won’t ask you a second time for you to sit but yet he asked him 8 times more ha gobshit

    110
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    Mute Bill Dee
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    Mar 31st 2015, 7:27 PM

    Barrett is another example of Fine Gael incompetence.

    Probably worst, most unfair, biased, obnoxious Ceann Comhairle ever.

    96
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    Mute patjoejoe123
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    Mar 31st 2015, 6:12 PM

    ireland really needs better opposition

    93
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    Mute Tony Hartigan
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    Mar 31st 2015, 7:11 PM

    He is the Fine Gael PROPERTY.

    85
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    Mute Pia O'Farrell
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    Mar 31st 2015, 7:29 PM

    Thanks to John McGuinness for supporting the O’ Farrell family. The people of Kilkenny are very lucky to have a man of integrity like John McGuinness.

    83
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    Mute justanothertaxpayer
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    Mar 31st 2015, 8:33 PM

    Perhaps he would be a more effective representative if he didn’t get himself kicked out? I don’t know about the case he was fighting, but I would expect my political rep to be able to work the system to get the result, as opposed to a soundbite for a day.

    9
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    Mute Gerry McGuinness
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    Mar 31st 2015, 9:00 PM

    It seems he tried to use the system and failed to get a proper reply. Did he have much other choice if he’s being fobbed off by the government?

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    Mute D. Moran
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    Apr 1st 2015, 2:31 AM

    Are u being ironically stupid, or just stupid?

    1
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    Mute keith cahill
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    Mar 31st 2015, 7:09 PM

    There all a disgrace! Time they started acting like grown adults and not petculent children. We pay all their wages, their job is simple to improve the society we live in! Not fanny around, if you started to fine them for not answering questions, or for being stupid they would cop on quick enough!

    79
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    Mute mrmeade
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    Mar 31st 2015, 7:16 PM

    Fine them for not answering questions, Iphone Joan doesn’t earn enough to pay the fines shed be hit with

    85
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    Mute John Campbell
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    Mar 31st 2015, 6:12 PM

    Fianna Fáil will clutch at any straw to try and elevate their quickly disappearing profile. Their concern is only for their own political survival.

    75
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    Mute Peter Slattery
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    Mar 31st 2015, 7:41 PM

    Sean Barratt is a disgrace. A petulant child with delusions of grandeur. The sooner he’s booted to obscurity the better.

    74
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    Mute William Mcgee
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    Mar 31st 2015, 7:34 PM

    He must be drinking the same coffee as Kenny ,his way or noway .

    63
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    Mute Je Suis Rep of Eire
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    Mar 31st 2015, 6:14 PM

    FF floundering in the polls and now McGuinness starts this shenanigans !!

    Looking to get back in the lime light for any reason now ,

    Michael Martin can’t have long left as the leader now ;)

    I give you John McGuinness the heir to the poison chalice

    62
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    Mute von
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    Mar 31st 2015, 6:22 PM

    But Barrett was very very mad,hate to annoy him.

    41
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    Mute davedunne
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    Mar 31st 2015, 9:34 PM

    .

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    Mute steve white
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    Mar 31st 2015, 6:25 PM

    what did he say?

    61
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    Mute Geraldine Lawlor
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    Mar 31st 2015, 7:17 PM

    I have seen junior infants behave better. What disgrace. I think its time for them all to go !!

    59
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    Mute @mdmak33
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    Mar 31st 2015, 7:36 PM

    Why is Barret still there,remove them with mass nonpayment and a no in endas referendums, it will force a GE,guaranteed.

    47
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    Mute Alan Farrell
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    Mar 31st 2015, 7:03 PM

    Does anyone know what he said?

    43
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    Mute John Ward
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    Mar 31st 2015, 8:13 PM

    @Alan Farrell:
    It sounded like, “Miserable waster”.

    29
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    Mute Patricia Hennesy
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    Mar 31st 2015, 8:21 PM

    Someday I’d love to see someone get up and smack him one that would make my day

    40
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    Mute Fran Cowzer
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    Mar 31st 2015, 8:52 PM

    Ceann Comhairle would have to look up objectivity and professionalism he’s supposed to be neutral and ensure questions are answered completely all he is a human shield for the Government

    39
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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    Mar 31st 2015, 9:08 PM

    Fran he is a FG TD how do you think he would have any understanding of objectivity and professionalism…..

    35
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    Mute D. Moran
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    Apr 1st 2015, 2:32 AM

    And you only figure this out now. Jeasus wept!

    5
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    Mute Pat Mc Mahon
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    Mar 31st 2015, 7:45 PM

    He’s just not the same without a snickers.

    39
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    Mute Alan Lester
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    Mar 31st 2015, 7:37 PM

    I have got PQ questions asked about the labour court being ignored by the Department of education with respect to Tyndall National Institute , and I have got nothing but evasive answers.

    38
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    Mute Eoin Walsh
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    Mar 31st 2015, 9:06 PM

    Barrett continues to be the worst ceann comhairle in the history of the state. How ironic ‘ I have to be fair to everyone ‘ !

    37
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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    Mar 31st 2015, 9:06 PM

    Barrett again an excellent example of what is wrong in this country..

    36
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    Mute Jay Warner
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    Mar 31st 2015, 10:03 PM

    Barrett is some disgrace… A disgrace to the position he holds, a disgrace to the country and let’s face it a perfect example of the clueless inept party he belongs to.

    35
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    Mute Alice Caffrey
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    Mar 31st 2015, 8:57 PM

    FG pit bull

    34
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    Mute John R
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    Mar 31st 2015, 7:21 PM

    Some of the criticisms of Sean Barrett on this topic display a lack of knowledge of Dáil procedures which the Ceann Comhairle is bound to enforce and adhere to. The Order of Business is about precisely that – the Order of Dáil business I.e. The agenda for the day. How is the Taoiseach responsible for the alleged failures of the Gardaí (in this instance) or the Director of Public Prosecutions who is entirely independent of politicians (thank goodness) in the exercise of any decision to prosecute a crime? This is pure grandstanding by the Chair of the PAC and nothing less. An exercise in pure unadulterated ego. The Taoiseach has no role in the investigation or the prosecution of crime. The Ceann Comhairle cannot direct the Taoiseach to answer a question on the Order of Business especially when the question being asked is (a) not one for the Taoiseach and (b) not one for the Order of Business. As I said pure grandstanding by McGuinness. Embarrassing. You might not like the manner in which the Ceann Comhairle dealt with the issue but he was actually correct and he has to enforce his authority.

    33
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    Mute Jho Harris
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    Mar 31st 2015, 10:19 PM

    Tripe and we are paying through the nose for it. They know the questions they’ll be allowed to ask and the answers they will get in return, it is all a very expensive pile of horse shit.

    18
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    Mute John
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    Mar 31st 2015, 9:40 PM

    Shame? Fianna Fáil don’t do shame.

    15
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    Mute Darren Mccarthy
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    Mar 31st 2015, 11:05 PM

    Bias much sean?

    9
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    Mute Tim Kearney
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    Apr 1st 2015, 4:42 AM

    The pixie Barrett is at it again

    8
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    Mute D. Moran
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    Apr 1st 2015, 2:28 AM

    Barrett, the most pertasian chairman of the house, bar none. ..! (Except The bull …ass hole O Donoghue) who is an ignorant pig…..?

    7
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