Digital Desk Staff
A Sinn Féin TD has apologised for comments made in the Dáil yesterday referencing Rosa Parks, the US Civil Rights icon in a debate over proposed indoor dining regulations.
Rose Conway-Walsh was criticising the Government's plans to introduce domestic Covid-19 certificates to reopen indoor dining when she made the reference.
As the Irish Examiner reports, debating the proposed regulations for reopening, the Mayo TD said: “It's becoming more and more obvious as the evening goes on that this legislation is completely unworkable and unjust.
“I don't care how many Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael or Green TDs stand up and try and rationalise it. I take what one of the previous government speakers said: 'While it's not too much trouble for me to show my pass at the door and I'll go in and get my seat'.
“And I really thought of Rosa Parks. And I thought of the segregation that is being done here. And to say that people are being treated differently, but they are not being discriminated against is just plain wrong."
Yesterday when speaking in the Dáil I made a reference to Rosa Parks that I regret when attempting to make a wider point about segregating people. The two situations are in no way comparable and would not want to ever imply that they are. I apologise https://t.co/ybTCKidPB9
— Rose Conway-Walsh (@conwaywalsh) July 15, 2021
Wider point
In a tweet published this afternoon, Ms Conway-Walsh said she regrets the reference to Rosa Parks and said she was attempting "to make a wider point about segregating people."
“The two situations are in no way comparable and would not want to ever imply that they are. I apologise,” she said.
Her apology follows widespread condemnation of independent Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath's comments that Covid certificates were comparable to discriminatory practises operated in Nazi Germany.
Speaking to media on Tuesday, Mr McGrath said: “Is that where we've come to now, back to 1933 in Germany, we'll be all tagged in yellow with the mark of the beast on us, is that where we're going? I'm surprised at ye.”
The official Auschwitz Museum took to social media to criticise Mr McGrath's comments and said his comments were “sad symptom of moral and intellectual decline.”
The independent TD was also directed to the museum's free seven-lesson course on the history of the Holocaust.
