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Leaders' Questions
WATCH: A stray set of Dáil headphones caused a lot of hassle for Mick Wallace
The Deputy struggled to understand the Taoiseach’s Irish, who refused to speak in English.
A DEBATE BETWEEN Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Independent TD Mick Wallace was almost lost in translation this afternoon.
Leaders’ Questions was today held in Irish for Seachtain na Gaeilge, but the Wexford TD broke into English to question Kenny on human rights issues.
The Taoiseach refused to respond in English.
Wallace questioned whether or not the Taoiseach would shake President Barack Obama’s hand next week when he meets him as part of St Patrick’s Day celebrations, calling him someone who “personally orders the pointless execution of scores of innocent children”.
The Deputy told the Dáil that Obama personally selects drone targets from a list each week, without any evidence to back up the often inaccurate strikes.
The only benefactor of the conflicts the US is involved in is the arms industry, he said.
We should have a problem with children being murdered and slaughtered.
When it was the Taoiseach’s chance to respond, he refused to do so in English, and Wallace was left scrambling to find a working headset to provide a live translation.
“Put on your translation system,” Kenny said, “This is our national language.”
Wallace accused him of attempting to hide behind the Irish language.
Watch the exchange below:
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