The Dáil was adjourned this afternoon following heated exchanges between Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams.
As Mr Adams strongly attacked the budget, Mr Kenny said he would love the Sinn Féin leader to “speak the truth about some elements of your past’’.
When an angry Mr Adams rose to his feet, Mr Kenny said: “Perhaps you might some day, some day, tell the truth about the tragedy and about the remorse...and about the compassion that should have been shown to Jean McConville’’. McConville was one of the so-called "disappeared".
Mr Adams said a charge had been made by Mr Kenny and it was up to Ceann Comhairle Sean Barrett to defend his right to ask questions of the Taoiseach. “I want the Taoiseach to withdraw that remark,’’ Mr Adams added.
Mr Barrett said withdrawing the remark was a matter for the Taoiseach and he could not force anybody to withdraw a charge.
As the row continued, Mr Barrett adjourned the Dáil for 10 minutes.
Earlier, Mr Adams accused the Taoiseach of kowtowing “to your masters in Europe, the big bankers and the golden circles’’ who created the current economic difficulties.
He urged Mr Kenny to “cut out the waffle, cut out the rubbish’’ and show compassion.
“You have made the easy choice to tackle the people who are not organised, who are vulnerable and on the margins,’’ said Mr Adams.
Mr Kenny said he knew the difficulties people were experiencing. “There is no easy solution to the range of problems this Government faces,’’ he added.
“In fact, with respect to all of those who went before me, there are few who have ever had to face the scale of the economic challenge we now face here.’
