Healy-Rae says he will not apologise for what he said.
Michael Healy-Rae has denied making a homophobic remark towards Tánaiste Leo Varadkar during a heated exchange in Dáil Éireann on Tuesday afternoon (22 March).
Varadkar appeared to take issue with Healy-Rae's use of the phrase "airy-fairies" and called on his counterpart to reflect on what he had said, offering the chance for the remark to be retracted the following day.
"I wouldn't dare to look down my nose at you or anyone else because I don't do that," said Healy-Rae.
"But maybe you do because you're a bit of a big shot. But, like I say, off we do with the airy-fairies and see how far it will get you."
In response, Varadkar said:
"It's not nice what you said to me there, Deputy, quite frankly.
"Reflect on it and think about it. Just think about what you said. Okay? Think about what you said."
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Speaking on Wednesday morning on Radio Kerry, Healy-Rae insisted there was no homophobic connotation to the remark.
The Kerry TD also said he won't apologise for what he said and claimed that the Tánaiste went on the offensive as a deflection tactic.
“He might have let on that he got upset because it suited him," Healy-Rae said on
Kerry Today.
"He knows in his heart and soul that I meant nothing by it, everyone inside the chambers knows that.
"You cannot apologise or say you are sorry when you purposely didn't do anything wrong," he added. "I definitely didn’t insult anybody."
Healy-Rae noted that he often uses the term 'airy-fairy' and has, in fact, said it "over and over again" in Varadkar's presence during Dáil business.
Addressing the exchange on Wednesday morning, the Tánaiste said he wasn't "losing sleep over it".
