Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has been accused of putting Fine Gael’s interest ahead of that of the country by approving a TD "abandoning the Dáil".

Dara Murphy had been a TD for Cork North Central before quitting earlier today to take up a €150,000-a-year job in the EU Commission in Brussels.

But Mr Murphy has spent the bulk of the past two-and-a-half years working in Brussels for Fine Gael’s EU party allies, the EPP. He has been seriously criticised in recent days by Fianna Fáil and others because he took his full TD’s salary and expense entitlements while working in Brussels.

Following the announcements of Mr Murphy’s resignation, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin mounted a barrage of scathing criticisms against the outgoing TD.

Mr Martin also accused the Taoiseach of making a serious error of political judgement by warmly approving Mr Murphy’s course of action when he announced he would be quitting politics in May 2018.

Mr Varadkar hit back and accused Mr Martin of prejudicing any investigations into Mr Murphy’s behaviour. He said the outgoing TD had made it clear he would cooperate with any inquiries while also insisting he acted within the Dáil rules.

Expand Close Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar (Niall Carson/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar (Niall Carson/PA)

The Fianna Fáil leader said that Mr Murphy had "effectively become an absentee TD while drawing his full salary". He said that over two years Mr Murphy had reduced his TD work "to near zero".

"The people are angry out there about this – they’re talking about it everywhere," Mr Martin said.

"You approved this – you OK’d it," said the Fianna Fáil leader to the Taoiseach. He added that Dara Murphy’s behaviour was "morally unsustainable", as he had "abandoned" the people of Cork city's northside.

"You put party before country," Mr Martin said to Mr Varadkar. He said the Taoiseach had issued a statement in May 2018 when Mr Murphy announced he would not contest the next general election.

"'So, while Dara might be leaving the Dáil, he’s certainly not leaving political life or Fine Gael'," Mr Martin cited the Taoiseach as saying at the time.

The Taoiseach said Mr Murphy had now left the Dáil and Fine Gael parliamentary party. He had said he would submit to any inquiries either by the Dáil ethics committee, the Standards in Public Office Commission, or by the Clerk of the Dáil.

Mr Varadkar said that Mr Murphy had attended the Dáil last year for 120 days and 40 of these were sitting days. He pointed out that many TDs – including members of the Fianna Fáil frontbench - held other jobs as well as being TDs.

The Taoiseach accused the Fianna Fáil leader of risking prejudicing any inquiry into Mr Murphy’s behaviour. He said Mr Martin had done just that two years ago when he criticised then Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald to an extent which forced her resignation.

Expand Close New post: Dara Murphy / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp New post: Dara Murphy

Mr Varadkar said a subsequent inquiry had cleared Ms Fitzgerald.

"You are the one who showed an error of political judgement," he told the Fianna Fáil leader.

Online Editors