GREEN PARTY backbencher Paul Gogarty apologised in the Dáil yesterday for using the “f-word’’ during a heated and bitter debate on the Social Welfare Bill.

Mr Gogarty, who represents Dublin Mid West, had been challenged by Opposition TDs to vote against the Bill later in the evening. As he was heckled by Labour TDs, he rounded on Emmet Stagg and said: “With all due respect, in the most unparliamentary language, fuck you, Deputy Stagg, fuck you.’’

Mr Gogarty immediately apologised for his “unparliamentary language”, adding he was outraged that somebody should question his sincerity. Later, Mr Gogarty again apologised “profusely’’, but Fine Gael’s Lucinda Creighton called him arrogant and his apology “half-hearted and mealy-mouthed’’. She said he should have been expelled from the chamber.

Although the “f-word’’ is not formally prohibited under the Ceann Comhairle’s rulings, Mr Gogarty is expected to be called before the Dáil’s Committee on Procedure and Privileges.

Mr Gogarty claimed that the State’s financial problems had been largely the responsibility of “the previous administration, the over-heated economy, the tax breaks for developers and bankers, and, indeed, for councillors who have taken legitimate donations’’.

“The right thing for this country is to make sure we have enough money to pay the social welfare and enough money to pay the public sector and to create the jobs,’’ he added.

“Unfortunately, I believe there is no other option from an economic point of view, even though I fundamentally disagree with the unfairness of it all.’’ Mr Gogarty said he would do the right thing by voting for the Bill, “and dare anyone to say that I am somehow less of a patriot than anyone else’’.

Mr Stagg, who was one of a succession of Opposition TDs to strongly criticise the Bill, said its core dealt with the cuts to practically every level of social welfare being paid to people under 66 years.

He added: “In the first instance, they are the jobseekers, 420,000 of them now . . . most of whom were working two years ago, so they are not some sort of group of people who do not wish to work, but simply people who lost their jobs.

“They also include those people on disability benefits, those who are too sick to work . . . and their income will be cut.

“Not only will their income be cut, but their medicines will be charged for, and some of them are on nine to 10 separate medicines a week.”

Mr Stagg said that the carer’s allowance would also be cut, as would the allowances for those who were blind and single parents.