Sinn Féin TD has been criticised for saying his party will “put manners” on a female Fine Gael politician

Sinn Féin TD has been criticised for saying his party will “put manners” on a female Fine Gael politician

Yesterday at 20:46

A Sinn Féin TD has been criticised for saying his party will “put manners” on a female Fine Gael politician. During a live Budget broadcast on RTÉ One, Padraig Mac Lochlainn told Minister of State Jennifer Carroll MacNeill that his party colleague Pearse Doherty is looking forward to putting manners on her in a Dáil debate. RTE broadcast David McCullagh was hosting the show and asked Ms Carroll MacNeill whether there would be a hike in the bank levy. She said the Government has the most progressive tax system in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and said the Coalition target supports at families who need help most. She said she would be happy to show Mr Mac Lochlainn the figures to back up her argument. Mr Mac Lochlain responded: “I’m sure Pearse Doherty will look forward to debating you after this budget and I’m sure he’ll look forward to putting manners on you.” When Ms Carroll MacNeill asked him what he meant, Mr Mac Lochlain said it is “arrongant “ to say Fine Gael they stuck up for people on lower incomes. A Fine Gael spokesperson said Mr Mac Lochlainn “exposed himself with his language and approach,” which the party said was “menacing and misogynistic”. “Is this how the Sinn Féin leadership is happy to treat women politicians? This was the Sinn Féin Chief Whip speaking to a female Junior Finance Minister on live Budget Day TV. It was highly visible and every woman watching would have seen that. “What does the Sinn Féin leadership think of this? “It is now up to Deputy Mary Lou MacDonald to let us know if this behaviour is tolerated in her party. “As for Deputy Doherty, Minister Carroll MacNeill will debate him any day – on the facts,” he added. A Sinn Féin spokesperson said: “Padráig Mac Lochlainn was clearly referring to the Fine Gael party and not any individual, as he made clear during the broadcast.”