A VIDEO OF Independent TD Mattie McGrath discussing his laundry in a Dáil debate has gone viral on Twitter.

The footage, which shows McGrath telling the Dáil that he is “not up to speed” with the various detergents used for washing clothes yesterday, has been viewed  almost 400,000 times.

“If the clothes were hanging out on the line on a good summer’s day like today they would be fairly well stained,” he said.

“They would need the washing machine and Daz or whatever is used now. They have gone away from Daz. 

“I’m not saying I am a bad homemaker and I do not do some washing but I’m not up to speed with the capsules that go into the washing machine,” he said.

“It used to be Surf and Daz when I was a [young person] and the Ceann Comhairle will remember also remember them,” he said, adding that: “We have a lot of clearing up to do.”

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McGrath made the remarks in relation to a planning decision at a debate on the Planning and Development (Amendment) No.2 Bill 2022, which McGrath said is not fit for purpose.

This Bill is the second amendment to the Planning and Development Act 2000 in two years and seeks to change the current substitute consent procedures within the legislation.

Substitute consent is “a process that concerns applications seeking to regularise existing developments requiring retrospective environmental impact assessment or appropriate assessment in exceptional circumstances,” according to Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien, who opened the debate.

This Bill seeks to streamline the application process, he said.

The video has become a source of amusement for many Twitter users, both in Ireland and abroad, after being retweeted by over 1,700 people. McGrath’s name is also trending on the app. 

Some have drawn humourous comparisons between McGrath’s comments and this turbulent week in British politics. 

Colum Eastwood, leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, wrote: “‘That Westminster is embarrassing’.  Mattie McGrath – ‘hold my beer’.”