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| Irish politician withdraws 'intemperate' remark against female senator | Irish politician withdraws 'intemperate' remark against female senator |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Ireland's most famous gay rights campaigner has been forced to withdraw a remark directed at a fellow parliamentarian after accusing her of "talking through her fanny". | Ireland's most famous gay rights campaigner has been forced to withdraw a remark directed at a fellow parliamentarian after accusing her of "talking through her fanny". |
| Senator David Norris said he regretted using such language against Regina Doherty, a member of the ruling Fine Gael party, during a debate on the abolition of the Irish senate. | Senator David Norris said he regretted using such language against Regina Doherty, a member of the ruling Fine Gael party, during a debate on the abolition of the Irish senate. |
| During a heated discussion on the republic's second parliamentary chamber, Norris said he and fellow senators had been subjected to the "Regina Monologues" during her speech advocating abolition and added that Doherty was somebody who was "not a wet weekend in this house talking through her fanny. I object in the strongest possible way." | |
| On Tuesday the former Irish presidential election candidate said: "I accept that my language was intemperate; had I been called for an explanation at the time I would have given one. | On Tuesday the former Irish presidential election candidate said: "I accept that my language was intemperate; had I been called for an explanation at the time I would have given one. |
| "I don't intend to go into a lengthy linguistic explanation and try to defend what I said, which I could if this was an academic discussion. | "I don't intend to go into a lengthy linguistic explanation and try to defend what I said, which I could if this was an academic discussion. |
| "I regret any offence, but I'd like to say this, that the thing I regret most is that this is going to be used in this dirty campaign as a diversion." | "I regret any offence, but I'd like to say this, that the thing I regret most is that this is going to be used in this dirty campaign as a diversion." |
| The Joycean scholar also described a government claim that getting rid of the senate would save Irish taxpayers €20m (£17m) a year as "a malignant and mendacious piece of tripe". | |
| Doherty said Norris's remarks actually made the case for abolishing the second chamber. | Doherty said Norris's remarks actually made the case for abolishing the second chamber. |
| "Senator Norris's sexist and deeply inappropriate language certainly brought public attention to the Seanad. | "Senator Norris's sexist and deeply inappropriate language certainly brought public attention to the Seanad. |
| "But his comments have done absolutely nothing to strengthen his claim that the superior level of debate in the Seanad means the upper house is worth saving," she added. | "But his comments have done absolutely nothing to strengthen his claim that the superior level of debate in the Seanad means the upper house is worth saving," she added. |
| The outburst is the second incident of alleged sexism in the Irish parliament over the last seven days. Last Thursday a Fine Gael MP apologised for pulling a female colleague on to his lap during the marathon debate on introducing limited abortion into the country. | The outburst is the second incident of alleged sexism in the Irish parliament over the last seven days. Last Thursday a Fine Gael MP apologised for pulling a female colleague on to his lap during the marathon debate on introducing limited abortion into the country. |
| Teachta Dála (Dáil member) Tom Barry described his behaviour during the discussions in the Irish parliament, which lasted until the early hours of Thursday morning, as "disrespectful and inappropriate". | Teachta Dála (Dáil member) Tom Barry described his behaviour during the discussions in the Irish parliament, which lasted until the early hours of Thursday morning, as "disrespectful and inappropriate". |
| Live television footage of the debate showed Barry pulling his fellow Fine Gael TD Áine Collins on to his lap at about 3am on Thursday. | Live television footage of the debate showed Barry pulling his fellow Fine Gael TD Áine Collins on to his lap at about 3am on Thursday. |
| Despite the gravity of the subject being debated, party sources initially dismissed the incident as "horseplay". But later Barry, a TD for Cork North-East, issued his apology. | Despite the gravity of the subject being debated, party sources initially dismissed the incident as "horseplay". But later Barry, a TD for Cork North-East, issued his apology. |
| "I have apologised to Áine Collins and she graciously and immediately accepted my apology. No excuses. I just shouldn't have done it." | "I have apologised to Áine Collins and she graciously and immediately accepted my apology. No excuses. I just shouldn't have done it." |
| Norris himself is no stranger to controversy and in 2011 had to pull out of the race for the Irish presidency after it emerged that he sought clemency from an Israeli court, on Seanad headed paper, for his former partner and pro-Palestinian activist Ezra Yitzhak Nawi on his conviction for the statutory rape of a 15-year-old Palestinian boy in 1997. | Norris himself is no stranger to controversy and in 2011 had to pull out of the race for the Irish presidency after it emerged that he sought clemency from an Israeli court, on Seanad headed paper, for his former partner and pro-Palestinian activist Ezra Yitzhak Nawi on his conviction for the statutory rape of a 15-year-old Palestinian boy in 1997. |
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