Fermanagh Assembly member Tommy Gallagher has hit back at suggestions that he is the 'Carbon King' of Stormont.
Mr Gallagher was responding to comments made by Environment Minister Sammy Wilson, yesterday.
Mr Wilson was facing criticism in Stormont from other Assembly membes about his decision to put a stop to adverts which urge people to cut energy consumption and reduce their carbon emissions.
The Environment Minister stated Mr Gallagher, who lives in Belleek, should get the bus to Stormont rather than drive every day.
However, Mr Gallagher retorted saying, "this is not realistic at all."
Mr Wilson told the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change that its campaign Act on CO2 'was not welcome' this led to an assembly motion from members noting their concern at the Minister's position. Mr Gallagher proposed an amendment to the Assembly motion, which was passed by 44 votes to 29.
Reacting to the motion Mr Wilson suggested that other assembly members should look at their own contributions to climate change before lecturing him.
The Minister singled out a number of assembly members dubbing Mr Gallagher the 'carbon king of Stormont' for the large weekly mileage he puts up coming and going to Stormont.
Mr Gallagher pointed out that he lives at Belleek, 100 miles from Stormont, and as the Assembly member who lives furthest from Stormont he said it would be a surprise to nobody that he is the member who clocks up the most mileage.
Regarding the ascertain that he could get the bus to the Assembly Mr Gallagher said for him to get public transport from Belleek to Stormont on at least three days a week was just not realistic, and the suggestion was just diverting attention away from the real problem
Mr Gallagher said he, like the other members of the house, has to attend the Assembly representing the interests of his constituents at least three days a week and, on occasion, more often.
And Mr Gallagher said singling out individual members for this kind of attack (name calling) is not the way the right way to handle the issue, and went further saying he felt such criticism was some kind of joke which was not in very good taste.
