TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar and Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald clashed yesterday during ill-tempered exchanges in the Dáil.
Mr Varadkar claimed Ms McDonald was "very cranky today" after she had interrupted him while answering questions on the north.
The Sinn Féin TD accused the Fine Gael leader of being "facile and dismissive" and at one point stood in front of him before leaving the chamber.
The row came a day after Mr Varadkar compared Ms McDonald to Marine Le Pen, the leader of France's far-right Front National party, during a budget debate.
During the question and answer session yesterday, the taoiseach expressed anger at several interruptions.
"Is it any small wonder they don't have an Executive, because this is the attitude of Sinn Féin, constantly hectoring, smart alec remarks, lack of temperance, lack of respect for other people, inability to listen to them, and inability to listen to compromise?" he said.
Afterwards the row between the pair continued, with Ms McDonald saying: "I'm not cranky at all, I find you facile and dismissive on important issues".
The Sinn Féin TD then left her seat and stood in front of the Taoiseach, and was heard to say that she would "write to him".
Fine Gael TD Alan Farrell, who was chairing the Dáil session, described the exchange as "very unusual".
