The two bars in the Dáil remain closed this afternoon as the hunt for a rogue rat continues.
The rodent was seen in both the members and visitors bar yesterday - and there have been reports of others this afternoon.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin first spotted the parliamentary invader while having a cup of tea in the Private Members Bar yesterday.
The rodent appeared again in the Visitors Bar, scuttling under a couch before being chased by staff armed with a golf club.
The Dáil bar remains closed as rat-gate rumbles on pic.twitter.com/yV29RHeuTO
— Seán Defoe (@SeanDefoe) July 10, 2019
Both bars remain closed as the hunt for the intruder continues.
It is assumed the rat came in through a hole in the floor and was possibly disturbed by renovations.
Fianna Fáil TD Darragh O'Brien has promised to bring his cat to the Dáil to chase it.
I'm bringing in reinforcements! "Ginger" O'Brien en route from #Malahide to catch that dirty rat in #Dail. #ratgate pic.twitter.com/XVMCbpdRLA
— Darragh O'Brien (@DarraghOBrienTD) July 10, 2019
While other TDs have spent their time naming the rodent – with Rat the Cope, Ratty McGrath and Richard Boyd BarrRAT some of the names enjoying cross-party support.
Reporting from Seán Defoe
