“I’ve described you as a national embarrassment.”
Representatives from the Football Association of Ireland appeared in front of the Oireachtas Committee for Transport, Tourism and Sport on Wednesday.
John Delaney was present.
The association faced questions on their finances from several TDs at Leinster House. The President of the board of the FAI Donal Conway opened proceedings with a lengthy statement before an adjournment was called to pre-read John Delaney’s statement.
The former FAI CEO said that he was not in the position to answer questions on the “finances of the Association or my former role as CEO or the €100,000 payment.”
Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae was also present at the meeting and he praised Mr. Delaney for his work in the FAI and promised him the “mother of all welcomes” in Kerry later this month.
Mr. Healy-Rae concluded his statement by saying: “When it comes to the accountancy practices… Many of us in business had to do certain things at certain times, during the recession, people bailed out their own small businesses.
“They did different things that they had to do. And if you’re guilty of anything, you’re guilty of trying to help an Association in the best way you saw it at that time,” he added.
Last night on Virgin Media One’s The Tonight Show, Ivan Yates discussed the comments that were made by Michael Healy-Rae in an explosive exchange.
Yates said that the TD’s defence of John Delaney at the Oireachtas Committee hearing was a ‘craven, leprechaun performance.’
Here’s a sample of the conversation.
Ivan Yates: Michael Healy-Rae we’ve had our disagreements on this programme. I’ve described you as a national embarrassment over issues.
MHR: I’ve described you as a couple of things too, it’s not all one way traffic.
Ivan Yates: It was a craven leprechaun performance from you today and I was embarrassed for you that a member of our parliament would be so obsequious to someone who was not answering questions, who was stonewalling and hiding behind his lawyers. Where you not embarrassed?
MHR: Your rudeness goes beyond belief if that’s the way you invite a person on to your show. And you go slapping the table like a spoilt little pup. Do you know I’d ask you a question, who do you actually think you are? Inviting somebody on as a guest and treating them like that and asking them a question in an insulting and derogatory way. You’re nothing but an arrogant bully. That’s what you actually are now.
Ivan Yates: It was craven and it was leprechaun because you just want a few quid for a few goalies nets in Kerry.
Here’s their exchange in full.
Ivan Yates and @MHealyRae clash over the Kerry TD's defence of the FAI's John Delaney at an Oireachtas Committee yesterday. #TonightVMTV pic.twitter.com/mUfF4YIG5F
— TonightVMTV (@TonightVMTV) April 11, 2019
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