I was unaware that Senator Keogan is such a renowned historian.

I am.

I want her to know the Fianna Fáil family is a very broad church. We have room and space in our party for everybody, even her, but obviously we did not have room for her gigantic ego.

Leaving that aside, the Senator engaged in an outrageous diatribe against the Fianna Fáil Party. This party and all its members stand very proud of its achievements. My grandfather fought in the War of Independence, was subsequently imprisoned and went over and spent time in prison in the UK. He came back emotionally and mentally harmed from that, but he did his bit for Ireland. He was embedded in Fianna Fáil, celebrated Fianna Fáil and realised what Fianna Fáil was going to do. The Senator may smirk all she wants, but Fianna Fáil always made the hard decisions and we have never once set out to build our reputation on a history of bile, hatred, bitterness or hatred of women or women’s rights.

Hear, hear.

Hear, hear.

The Senator is an insult to women. If she had her way, we would have a marriage bar. We would not have women working. We would not have same-sex marriage in this country.

Sorry. Can I just say political-----

I am telling the Senator exactly how I feel. She engaged in a diatribe against every member of Fianna Fáil in this House.

I did not.

She speaks for what she stands for in this House. All she stands for is bitterness and hatred, and all she seeks to do is sow division and hatred in this country.

Senator-----

Her only political ally is Donald Trump.

-----just a second. Political charges are part of what we do here. Personal charges need to be kept out of the Chamber. Please continue.

Keep going, Joe.

She made a charge against the members of Fianna Fáil the length and breadth of this country who had no opportunity to defend themselves. She came in here today, on a day when there are huge issues elsewhere, and used her valuable time to engage in an attack on the party that she could not force her way through to get a seat in Dáil Éireann. That is the only reason. It was a very personal and vindictive attack on people – the people who built this country and who brought us into Europe. The Senator spoke about this idealistic view she has of the 1930s. Does she know what 1930s Ireland was like? It was an Ireland that she wants – it was an Ireland of impoverished children, women tied to sinks and women put into institutions. That is what she wants to go back to. We are a modern liberal country. She might not like it, but that is what we are. We can thank Fianna Fáil and our forefathers in Fianna Fáil for that. I am glad that Fianna Fáil has its hand on the tiller of government and not Senator Keogan and not her ilk, because it would be a poor future and a poor country for my three daughters if she had any hand in power.

Fair play, Senator O'Flaherty.