JOAN BURTON AND MARY Lou McDonald returned to their truculent best in the Dáil today as the two clashed over water charges.

The Sinn Féin deputy leader once again hit out at the Labour party during Leaders’ Questions.

She said the junior coalition party was acting as Irish Water’s “debt collector” and described Environment Minister Alan Kelly as a character from the landmark TV drama ‘The Sopranos’:
https://vine.co/v/O3HAnAl1H7t

This prompted independent TD Finian McGrath to remark from the backbenches that Kelly “thinks he’s John Wayne”.

It was the second day in a row that Tipperary-man Kelly was described as being like a fictional TV character.

But Joan Burton had a decent response, describing Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams as being like another Soprano’s favourite:
https://vine.co/v/O3HAI6i5OIb

On the substantive issue, McDonald wanted to know if Burton supported Kelly’s plan to attach water charges to people’s earnings.

Burton said she supported the minister in doing something which “should have been done 30 years ago”.

“It’s easy to be populist but it’s harder to look after the future of our country,” she told an unimpressed McDonald, before listing off various Budget measures introduced last October.

The Sinn Féin TD accused Burton of “a tour around the world in verbal terms”.

Source: Oireachtas TV

Burton said there is, in fact, no “pot of gold in this country” and told McDonald:

I know facts are often awkward for yourself to deal with.

McDonald once again pressed the issue.

On a point of order, she demanded the Tánaiste return to her feet and answer the question of whether she supported the idea attachment orders to collect water charges.

When Burton failed to reply, McDonald remarked off-mic:

You’re an absolute disgrace. You’re a wimp, you’re a wimp.

Read: They were talking about Nelson from The Simpsons in the Dáil today