The chairman of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport has undertaken to speak to a Fianna Fáil senator, Ms Mary White, about her conduct at a public meeting of the committee on Wednesday.
Mr Eoin Ryan, a Fianna Fáil TD, made his commitment yesterday at a private meeting of the committee after a number of members expressed reservation about Ms White's behaviour.
Ms White attended the meeting on Wednesday during a presentation by her husband, Mr Padraic White, in his capacity as chairman of the Railway Procurement Agency, the body overseeing the Luas project. She is not a member of the committee, but is entitled as an Oireachtas member to sit with members of the committee when it is in session. She did not address the meeting.
According to observers, Ms White moved from her seat on occasions to whisper and speak privately with committee members. She is thought to have expressed support for her husband during these engagements, and is believed to have uttered that Mr White's appearance at the committee was akin to "mother's milk" for him.
Certain committee members within and outside Fianna Fáil expressed unhappiness with such conduct, and claimed it was inappropriate. It is understood the matter was raised at the private meeting yesterday by Labour TD Ms Róisín Shortall.
While Ms Shortall did not name Ms White, she is believed to have complained about behaviour unbecoming an Oireachtas member. It is understood that no one in the committee demurred after Ms Shortall made her complaint. While Ms Shortall is believed to have asked Mr Ryan to write to Ms White about her conduct, he undertook to speak to her.
Ms White is an entrepreneur and co-founder of Lir Chocolates. Her husband is a former head of IDA Ireland. A member of the Seanad industrial and commercial panel since last year, Ms White was a member of the Fianna Fáil national executive for five years.
The PDs criticised Ms White in February when she called on the Government to pressure the Colombian authorities to stop the trial of three Irishmen in Colombia. She had said the proceedings against Mr James Monaghan, Mr Niall Connolly and Mr Martin McCauley on charges that they helped the FARC guerrilla movement were a "sham and a farce".
She could not be contacted by telephone yesterday.