Deputy Joe McHugh had claimed that Sinn Fein in the North hadn’t done enough to get rid of the €12 per day levy.
Deputy Pearse Doherty had responded angrily to that claim – with McHugh hitting back yet again this weekend.
“Sinn Fein is super sensitive to criticism of the government role in North yet they make a living out of negatively criticising the Government in the South,” said Fine Gael man McHugh.
He went on: “They need to develop a more mature attitude to their role as administrators in Northen Ireland and take responsibility for the welfare of our lorry drivers here in County Donegal.”
Doherty had said McHugh’s claims were “uninformed and opportunistic” because the HGV levy is set in London.
Pearse Doherty had issued a rebuttal of Deputy McHugh insisting: “Sinn Fein have raised this issue at Council, Dáil and Assembly level and voiced our opposition in every political arena. Donegal Councillor Gary Doherty in particular has campaigned tirelessly to make sure Donegal hauliers are not penalised.
“Deputy Mc Hugh ignores the fact that taxation is a matter for Westminster and that we have called for the British Secretary of State to exempt all local roads. Minister Varadkar in a reply to me stated that the British Minister had indicated “a willingness to consider certain, regional cross-border specified roads”.
“Deputy Mc Hugh would be better served pushing his own Minister to capitalise on this potential rather than taking uninformed and opportunistic attacks on others campaigning for the same goal.”