Independent TD Michael Healy Rae was rushed to hospital this afternoon after taking ill in the Dáil.
The Kerry South TD had been participating in the debate on the Social Welfare Bill and became very exercised about cuts in income supplement thresholds, community employment schemes, child benefit and in the fuel allowance.
Some time after he had spoken, he became faint in the chamber and Minister for Health James Reilly, a medical doctor, was called to attend him.
An ambulance was called and Mr Healy-Rae was removed to St James’s hospital.
During the debate on the Social Welfare Bill, which passed all stages by 88 votes to 47 Mr Healy Rae was very critical of the social welfare cuts and highlighted the case of a couple with three children one with down syndrome who would lose more than €100 with the income threshold changes and the family believed they would become homeless as a consequence.
He also hit out at the cut in fuel allowance. In an angry outburst he told Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton “I’m ashamed to see what you’re doing to go cutting the fuel allowance by six weeks to people that nearly died of the cold last year.
“And what’s your answer to them this year ‘perish away and die and get out of our way and we won’t have to pay ye any money then 'because they’ll be dead with the cold”.
He also asked the Minister “what have you got against the third child” in reference to cuts in child benefit for people with three or more children.
Mr Healy Rae asked “are ye telling them they’ll have to stop after two”.
When Minister of State Shane McEntee told him “the Healy-Rae’s have no say. That’s what’s wrong with you” the Kerry South TD told him to stay quiet and “let me have my say and I’ll take you on some day if you want to have a fight with me”.
Mr McEntee intervened again and said “there are tablets for things like that” at which point Independent TD Mattie McGrath told him that was an insult and he should withdraw the remark.
Mr Healy Rae became very agitated and told Mr McEntee that “you’d want to be very careful about what you say in this House”. He said “I got elected as good as you did” and added “I won’t have any Minister looking down his nose at me because there’s no need for that”.
Mr McEntee insisted there was nothing unmparliamentary about what he had said. “All I said was there are tablets around.”
Debate on the Social Welfare Bill continued as Ms Burton responded to the second stage of the legislation.
