Taoiseach accuses Healy-Rae of 'making up' quote during heated Dáil row

The Taoiseach has accused Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae of ‘making up’ a quote, during a heated row in the Dáil this afternoon. The row broke out when the independent TD suggested Micheál Martin had been quoted as “being in favour of a reduction in the national herd”. The Taoiseach then asked where he was quoted, calling on the TD to “produce the quote.” Deputy Healy-Rae responded: “The Taoiseach was quoted, as was the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. “He can go and find it but it is a fact that he was quoted as saying that.” Questioned further about the quote, Deputy Healy-Rae suggested it “is in the papers”. In response, the Taoiseach said: “I challenge the Deputy, through the Chair, to produce the quote where I said I am in favour of a reduction of the herd because I never said it. “It is not good enough that the Deputy would say something that is untrue. He should withdraw it. “The Deputy cannot come in here and make everything up every day.” At one stage during the row, the Taoiseach said “shut the…” before trailing off. The Kerry TD said it was “unfair of the Taoiseach to say that I am making up things here every day” - calling on him to withdraw the remark. However, Mr Martin insisted Deputy Healy-Rae “made up the quotation in relation to the reduction of the national herd”. The Taoiseach last month told the Irish Farmers Journal that the Government wants to 'stabilise' the national herd. Green Party leader Eamon Ryan has previously been at odds with both Micheál Martin and Leo Varadkar over his party's calls to reduce the size of the beef and dairy herds to combat climate change.