Lenihan, the kebab, and overseas aid
During a Dail debate on 18 May, Conor Lenihan, Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with responsibility for overseas development intervened to tell Joe Higgins he should "stick with the kebabs".
The remark referred to the campaign Joe Higgins has waged on behalf of the Turkish workers who he says have been exploited and underpaid by the construction company, Gama. The workers have been on strike for the last number of weeks and Joe Higgins is critical of the lack of support given to the workers by the Irish Government.
Conor Lenihan came back to the Dail within an hour to apologise, saying he "sincerely regretted" the remark and any offence caused.
Lenihan was appointed to the overseas aid portfolio last September as part of the cabinet reshuffle. One of his first moves was to say that the Government would not meet th target to give 0.7 per cent of GNP to overseas aid by 2007, reneging on a commitment first made at the United Nations by Bertie Ahern in the context of Ireland's campaign for a seat on the Secuirty Council, and restated many times since.
In a foreign affairs committee debate on the issue, Lenihan argued he was "injecting" realism into the issue, and said that "rather than making personal comments about the Taoiseach's commitment and its solemnity, one must recognise that he made it in a fantastic moment of idealism".
Lenihan was criticised particularly by Liz O'Donnell, who formerly held responsibility for this portfolio and under whose tenure the commitment was made. She said that he had abondened the target before he even went into negotiation with the Department of Finance on the yearly estimates process.
In the Dáil on 18 May 2005:
Joe Higgins: Has anyone else been struck by the silence of the lambs on the Fianna Fáil backbenches? In the past when cuts in Aer Lingus or privatisation was mooted we heard shrill cries, perhaps strangled cries would be more accurate, from the Government backbenches. This time, when real opposition is needed, when they need to stand up and be counted we have the silence of the lambs. The same lambs who often found their voices to allege that small Dáil parties and Independent Deputies have no power cannot even bleat. At least we have not lost the power of speech to oppose the sabotage of our national airline in the same way as they have.
The Taoiseach: Even the Deputy does not believe that raiméis but he has to say it.
Joe Higgins: What raiméis?
Conor Lenihan: What the Deputy has just spoken is the best definition of raiméis I have heard.
Enda Kenny: That is socialist bleat.
Conor Lenihan: Deputy Higgins should stick with the kebabs.