FORMER FIANNA FÁIL TD Mary O’Rourke has criticised Taoiseach Enda Kenny for not being smart enough, and said that TDs in the current Dáil are “not very bright or intelligent”.

The former TD for Longford-Westmeath also said that it won’t be long until the electorate start to hate Fine Gael in the same way that people hated Fianna Fáil.

O’Rourke, 74, who spoke to student journalist Jason Kennedy, says that people will start to hate Fine Gael in a big way. The former Fianna Fáil TD lost her seat in the general election of last year.

“They said they were going to do everything and now they are doing nothing. I don’t think much of them,” she said.

“What worries me about the present Dáil is that they are not very bright or intelligent. I think Michael Noonan is certainly a good man and I think he will do well for the economy, but after him I can’t think of anyone that I admire.”

Ms O’Rourke also praised Fianna Fáil Leader Micheal Martin, saying that he was much better in the role than former leaders Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen.

“I think he suits the time we are in. He is a way better leader than either of them [Ahern and Cowen].

“Brian Cowen was very smart and very intelligent, there is no doubt about that, but he wouldn’t smile for anyone and that is what ruined us. He scowled all the time. Wheras Enda Kenny has nothing in the top storey, but he smiles all the time and because he smiles all the time, people think he is wonderful.”

Ms O’Rourke also claims that despite slowly-growing support for Fianna Fail that the party will never be as big as it was in previous years.

“We’ll never again be sixty, seventy or eighty seats. Not at all. Never. They will be a part of maybe three of four parties within a coalition.”

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Despite no longer working in the Dáil, Ms O’Rourke has been kept busy with her first book, which will be published by Gill and Macmillan and will be released for the Christmas market later this year. She is also hoping to guest present ‘Tonight with Vincent Browne’ again this year.

Watch extracts of the interview with Mary O’Rourke: