The Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Mr Fahey, has described Connacht-Ulster MEP Ms Dana Rosemary Scallon as a "bankrupt politician" and a "useless" member of the European Parliament.
The Minister, who is TD for Galway West, was responding to a call yesterday by Ms Scallon for natural gas to be provided to communities in Connemara.
Such a proposal was akin to "giving snuff out at a wake", Mr Fahey said, and represented "the greatest gombeen politics that I have seen in quite a while".
"She should take herself out of her agony and declare she is running in the election," he said.
A spokesman for Ms Scallon said last night she was "disappointed" that the Minister should wish to "debase politics" by "getting into personalities".
Mr Fahey also questioned the existence of a private Fianna Fáil poll, which rated Ms Scallon's chances if she ran for the Dáil in his constituency. A report in this newspaper earlier this week quoted sources close to Ms Scallon as saying the poll showed she would take 15.9 per cent of first-preference votes if she ran in Galway West.
"There was no poll. That was a figment of her imagination," the Minister said. "It would be more in her line if she concentrated on the job she was elected to do," Mr Fahey continued. "She has done nothing in Europe since she went out there and now she wants to go to the Dáil as well, so she is welcome to."
Referring to the poll, Ms Scallon's spokesman said he understood it had come from Fianna Fáil as it had been faxed into Ms Scallon's office on Fianna Fáil-headed notepaper. "Only Fianna Fáil can answer where it came from," he said.
