Last night’s Tonight with Vincent Browne

Kieran O’Donnell, Limerick Fine Gael TD, refuses to condemn Phil Hogan’s intervention in the housing of a traveller family in his constituency.

Much to the host’s eventual mental breakdown.

Browne: “Kieran, are you proud of what your party colleague, Phil Hogan, did in this instance – reassuring or assuring neighbours in this area that a Traveller family wouldn’t be housed in that area?”

O’Donnell: “Well Vincent, my understanding is that, this was, one particular family went to Minister Hogan with a query. And the minister’s office, they actually I think got on to his office, the minister’s office went back to the local authority and basically gave back the information. I think, once again, I go back to my own view, and I represent a lot of Travellers in my own constituency. So I don’t differentiate between people.”

Browne: “My question was are you proud of what Phil Hogan did, in this instance?”

O’Donnell: “But Phil Hogan basically represented a constituent with a query and went back.”

Browne: “We know that. I’m asking you though: Are you proud of what you did?”

O’Donnell: “What he actually did was he made a representation.”

Browne: “So you think it’s fine. You think it’s fine, it’s OK.”

O’Donnell: “No, no, I think that. A query came in from a constituent which he got from the local authority.”

Browne: “We know that.”

O’Donnell: “And he went back.”

Browne: “Do you think that what Phil Hogan did was OK?”

O’Donnell: “And the system, Vincent, is robust. The family are in the house, which is important.”

Browne(wailing): “Do you think what Phil Hogan did was OK?”

O’Donnell: “But what he did…”

Browne: “Don’t mind Yes, or no? Is it OK to…”

O’Donnell: “What he said himself, what he said himself Vincent…”

Browne: “Don’t mind…”

O’Donnell: “What he said is he did his work as a constituency TD. And we get a lot of representations.”

Browne: “Right. I’ll try it again. I’ll try one final time and then I give up. Do you think what Phil Hogan did in this instance was OK?”

O’Donnell: “I think..he made..what he’s said himself, he stands over what he did…”

Browne (crying voice): “No but we know, we know, we know…”

Speak over each other.

O’Donnell: “I can’t say any more than that, Vincent.”

Browne: “You can. You can tell us whether you think it’s OK or not.”

O’Donnell: “I think that the system…”

Browne: Just say ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

O’Donnell: “The system was robust.”

Browne: “‘Yes’ or ‘no’. Was this conduct OK or not?”

O’Donnell: “His conduct was that he went and made a rep…”

Browne: “WE KNOW! Was it OK or not?”

O’Donnell: “No, no, but what I want..”

Browne: “What is the problem? Do you have a problem in saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’?”

O’Donnell: “No, Vincent, you’re not listening to me. You’re not listening to me.”

Browne: “Yeah… I am I wish I weren’t but yeah.”

O’Donnell: “Martin (from Pavee Point) made reference to it earlier. I don’t see people. If this representation was made by someone, we’ll say, in respect of someone who wasn’t a Traveller, right?”

Browne: “I don’t get paid enough for this.”

O’Donnell: “What? You don’t get paid enough? I’ll look for an increase on your salary,

Watch here