Regina Doherty the Fine Gael TD who was accused by Senator David Norris yesterday of "talking through her fanny" will make a formal complaint to the Leader of the Seanad over his controversial remarks.

The independent Senator yesterday launched an excoriating attack, using the offensive word as part of a play on words from the title of the play Vagina Monologues.

“I object in the strongest possible way to the idea that someone who has spent years in the House should have to listen to the Regina monologue from someone who has not been a wet weekend in the Oireachtas and is talking through her fanny,” he told the House, prompting immediate protests from other Senators.

'Shockingly undemocratic'
He was responding to remarks Ms Doherty made at the launch of Fine Gael's referendum campaign to abolish the Upper House in which she described the Seanad as "shockingly undemocratic".

In a statement last night Ms Doherty said: “I have to admit that I was upset by the personal nature of the remarks that Senator Norris made about me in the Seanad. They were contrived and intentional.”

Inappropriate
She also described his comments as sexist and inappropriate.

Her Fine Gael colleague Mary Mitchell O’Connor said the comments were “sexist, crude, offensive and deeply inappropriate.

“He launched a personal, misogynist attack on one of my female colleagues that was completely out of order,” she said.