Another night.

Another Big Phil apologist fan.

Fine Gael’s James Daly, for Cork South West, on Tonight With Vincent Browne, where he was pressed to say what he thought of Fine Gael Environment Minister Phil Hogan’s intervention in the housing of a Traveller family.

You know how this ends.

Browne: “Phil Hogan, joining in an effort to deny constituents of his housing in Kilkenny. Did you have any reserves about that Jim? Did you feel embarrassed by that?”

Daly: “As I understand it, he wrote to the council to make an enquiry on behalf of a constituent. That’s something that a lot of us have to do. I don’t share the views of all my constituents but many times they’ll ask me to find out something for them, or…”

Browne: “He wrote, saying, assuring the constituent who had protested about the possibility of a Traveller family entering their area. He wrote, as it happened, wrongly reassuring them this wouldn’t happen. In other words, he was on their side, in attempting to deny a Traveller family accommodation. How do you feel about that?”

Daly: “Well, you see, like constituency politics isn’t always easy. And you’ll often be asked to make enquiries for people that you may not support yourself down deep. And, as I understand it, and at this stage, I’m not here to defend Phil Hogan, he’s well able to speak for himself and how he carries out his constituency work is not something that I want to be…”
Browne: “But the question is…that you talk for yourself I assume?”

Daly: “Yeah.”

Browne: “The question I asked you is about yourself.”

Daly: “Right.”

Browne: “How do you feel about what Phil Hogan did?”

Daly: “How do I feel about it?”

Browne: “Yes, that’s exactly what I’ve asked you. Four times now. Go on.”

Daly: “Ehm. First of all, I’m not certain that he did anything wrong in making an enquiry to the council.”

Browne: “How do you know it’s only an enquiry? Isn’t it likely that it was a representation and he seemed to be claiming credit, for denying a Traveller. Even if he didn’t make a representation to the council on this behalf. To claim credit for keeping a Traveller family out of a home, how do you feel about that?

Daly: “The first thing I took from it, from that story when I head it, is that it does maintain the integrity of the system in allocating houses through the council. I mean the council did what they were going to do anyway. And I’m delighted that that happened one way or the other. But, as I understood it, and I’m not here to defend Phil Hogan, he can do that himself. The way I understood it, he made an enquiry to the council and…”

Browne: “I’m asking you what you think, what do you think about him, claiming credit for a Traveller being denied accommodation. A family constituent being denied accommodation? What do you think of that?”

Daly: “Well, irrespective of it being a Traveller or not, I wouldn’t be proud of denying anybody accommodation, on any…I think it’s immaterial whether…”

Browne: “You’re not happy about it?”

Daly: “I personally think it’s immaterial whether it was a Traveller or whether it was somebody from an ethnic minority…or…”

Browne: “But isn’t it particularly vicious if it’s a Traveller, a community that’s already subjected to discrimination and prejudice?”

Daly: “Well, I don’t know the details of the case…”

Browne: “Don’t mind about the details. You know in general about Travellers.”

Daly: “No, no, you’re trying to…I won’t comment on a specific of it being a Traveller. I’m making the point. I think it’s immaterial if it was a Traveller, or whether it was a member of another ethnic minority. It was a person being denied housing. And I certainly wouldn’t be supportive of that. But I’m not sure if you’re going be making an enquiry to know if they’re going to be given a house, is that the same thing as trying to deny him a house? I don’t know. I didn’t see the correspondence. I didn’t see that detail.”

Browne: “But you saw the letter that he wrote?”

Daly: “I didn’t. I didn’t see the letter he wrote.”

Browne: “You didn’t see it in any television programme. You didn’t see it in any newspapers, nothing?”

Daly: “I didn’t actually. I didn’t see the letter, no. I did not see it, no.”

Watch here.

Previously: “I Don’t Get Paid Enough For This”