DANNY HEALY-RAE has responded to a tweet by Minister for Transport Shane Ross showing a picture of him asleep at Croke Park ahead of Sunday’s All Ireland final.

The Kerry TD was captured resting his eyes in the Hogan Stand during the Minor final between Galway and Kilkenny, prompting Ross to question whether he was wasting his ticket.

However, Healy-Rae hit back at his parliamentary foe by calling him a “waste of space”, and took aim at the Road Traffic Bill, which increased penalties for drink-drivers.

He told TheJournal.ie: “[Ross] had all the answers before he became a Minister, but all he does now is hurt people around the country.

“He’s angering people with bills that he’s put through the Dáil and leaving them at home, because that’s where they might as well stay if they can’t go to the pub.”

Source: Twitter/@ShaneRossTD

The Independent TD said that while he was having “a little sleep” at the time the picture was taken, he did not miss a minute of the final.

“I closed my eyes for a minute because the minors game was over,” he said.

“I had several long days. Saturday I was helping people and I was at the Kilgarvan hurling match that evening.

“I had to do my office work for Monday morning on Saturday night, because I was going to the match on Sunday morning; I was up and out at 6am.

“I don’t ever go on holiday and last week was very hard. I don’t deserve to be scorned for taking a few minutes rest.”

Healy-Rae added that he hadn’t missed an All Ireland hurling final in 30 years, and was continuing the tradition of his father, Jackie, who won two senior county hurling medals with his club in Kilgarvan.

“It’s the best game in the world and I wish Limerick and Kilgarvan, and indeed the sport of hurling, all the best.

“The final was a great game and it goes to show you how good the sport is.

“If Ross had any real interest in it, he’d be praising the Limerick hurlers and not having a go at me.”