INDEPENDENT TD JOAN Collins has sworn in the Dáil during sharp criticism of the Government over Budget 2020.

During a debate on next year’s Budget, announced by Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe yesterday, the Dublin TD asked why more members of both parties were not present in the Dáil chamber to discuss the measures introduced by the government.

“I notice there are very few here from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael,” she said.

You’re not here; you’re not listening; you don’t care. And to put it bluntly, from the amount of phone calls I’ve got from constituents over the last 24 hours, you just really don’t really give a fuck…

Collins also claimed that it is “outrageous” that people were being subjected to some of the measures introduced in the Budget, although she did not specify which aspects she disagreed with.

Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan was quick to criticise Collins’ use of language on social media, moments after her outburst.

“Colorful language solely crafted to garner media coverage for otherwise vacuous and empty budget contribution,” he said on Twitter.

The incident recalls a similar use of colourful language by former Green Party TD Paul Gogarty, who bellowed “fuck you” to former Labour TD Emmet Stagg in 2009, before immediately apologising for his “unparliamentary language”

However, the word is not actually actually considered unparliamentary language or prohibited from being used in the Dáil.