Harris brings up SuperValu mistake after Doherty's cost-of-living criticism
Mr Doherty said
there are more than 300,000 households behind on their
electricity bills
and over 170,000 behind on their
gas bills
.
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'Government cannot just swan off for the summer break leaving people in the lurch with stress and uncertainty.
'I say to you that you need to introduce a cost-of-living package, you need to continue with energy credits and you need to tell families that you won't cancel the help they rely on to help them with these massive energy bills this autumn.'
Mr Harris responded by citing a number of Government supports, including the expansion of those eligible for fuel allowances.
He then went on the offensive, bringing up a recent mistake in a debate where Mr Doherty claimed the SuperValu chain was owned by a US multinational.
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It is actually owned by the Musgrave Group.
'You spend a lot of your political career standing up here saying: 'you don't get it over here. You don't understand, you're out of touch," Mr Harris said.
'You know what I know? I know who owns Supervalu. And it's not an American multinational.
'I know who owns Supervalu, they sponsor the GAA, they sponsor the Tidy Towns. They're in towns and villages across the country, they're a proud Irish company. And you thought, you thought they were owned by an American multinational."
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Pointing at Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe, Mr Harris added: "And you want Paschal Donohoe's job?,' the Tánaiste said with a smile, while pointing at the Finance Minister sitting beside him.
'You want Paschal Donohoe's job and you don't even know who owns SuperValu? Or can't even use Google? Give me a break."
Shouts of disapproval were heard from the Sinn Féin benches, while Government TDs smiled and laughed.
Speaking afterwards, Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore said: "Anybody looking in on this debate today will have their head in their hands. They are worried about putting food on their table, they are worried about turning their lights on and we have this kind of behaviour going on?
'It's just... I actually don't think either of you get it."
While the Government may have seen the exchange as a victory, plenty of people echoed Ms Whitmore's assessment online, with many claiming it was no more than unhelpful pantomime politics.
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