Taoiseach Micheál Martin maintains he did not call Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald a liar, insisting he only stated she told untruths. The controversy arose from a tense housing debate in the Dáil, where Mr. Martin used Irish to describe Ms. McDonald's remarks, leading to accusations of evasion. This incident sparked a debate about the use of Irish in the Dáil and the interpretation of its meaning.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has stated he cannot retract his comments labeling Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald a 'liar' as he 'cannot withdraw a remark he did not make'. Instead, the Fianna Fáil leader implied he accused her of disseminating falsehoods. This follows a charged atmosphere in the Dáil last week during a housing debate when Mr. Martin remarked that Ms. McDonald was 'ag insint bréaga arís.' Sinn Féin contested this, stating it translated to 'telling lies again'.
They further suggested Mr. Martin used Irish to circumvent Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy's understanding, as she is not fluent in the language. Ms. Murphy wrote to Mr. Martin last week, requesting he 'review' his remarks. In his response, the Taoiseach asserted he could not retract remarks he never made, and he cited instances where Sinn Féin accused him and Tánaiste Simon Harris of being a 'liar'. He wrote: 'I wish to clarify the interpretation of the phrase ag insint bréag. 'The widely used Foclóirie, which serves as the most popular electronic version of the Ó Dónaill Irish-English Dictionary (1977) defines bréag as 'a falsehood’ or ‘untruth'. 'Accordingly, ag insint bréag translates to 'telling a falsehood' or 'telling an untruth'. 'In contrast, to directly call someone a ‘liar’ in Irish, one would need to use terms such bréagadóir, éitheoir, or scaitseálai. 'Similarly, the authoritative Dinneen's Foclóir Gaeilge agus Béarla, published in 1934, equates bréag with ‘false’ and lists éige as the word for ‘lie’. 'Dinneen's dictionary is the gold standard and remains a highly respected authority in the Irish language. 'As the Gaelic language does not always allow for direct, literal translations, context and tone play a crucial role in interpretation. 'The examples above demonstrate a clear distinction between directly calling a person a ‘liar’ in Irish and stating that they have told falsehoods or untruths. 'It would be deeply concerning if linguistic assertions made by Deputies in the Dáil were accepted without proper scrutiny. Interpretation of the Gaelic language cannot be what Sinn Féin decides it is on a given day.' He further stated: 'I was accused by Deputy Mary Lou McDonald of using language that I did not use. Specifically, she claimed that I called her a liar, which I did not. 'As such, I cannot withdraw a remark I did not make.'The Taoiseach also characterized Sinn Féin as 'hypocritical' and pointed out that on May 29, 2024, 'Deputy Matt Carthy explicitly called me a liar'. He provided three additional instances between April and June of last year where he or Mr. Harris were accused of lying or misleading the Dáil, noting that 'none of these remarks have been withdrawn'. He added: “It is essential that the rules of the House are applied consistently and fairly to all members. There cannot be one rule for Sinn Féin Deputies and another for the rest.' In the Dáil, Ms. Murphy stated that the matter of language must be treated seriously and she would 'bring all correspondence to the Committees on Procedure and Privileges for their consideration in the broader context of standards in the use of parliamentary language.' A Sinn Féin source told the Irish Mirror that the letter was 'mansplaining' and Mr. Martin was 'still a muinteoir at heart.
Micheal Martin Mary Lou Mcdonald Sinn Féin Dáil Irish Language Parliamentary Standards Political Controversy
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