Carer left 'shaken' and 'in tears' after viral video exchange with Taoiseach has received apology

Taoiseach Simon Harris has said there is "no excuse" for his failure to engage with a woman in Kanturk, Cork in an exchange that was captured in a now viral video.

The Fine Gael leader had a brief encounter with a woman who identified herself as a carer, and she told the Taoiseach “we were ignored” and the Government has “done nothing for us."

Simon Harris was criticised after he walked away from the woman mid-conversation after the video was widely shared.

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She asked the Taoiseach if she could ask him a question and said that carers have, in her view, been "ignored."

When he replied "no you weren't", she said "yes we were, the disability sector is a joke, you've done nothing for us, our people are suffering."

Speaking to The Irish Times t oday, the woman, Charlotte Fallon, said she felt shaken by the interaction. She also confirmed that he had given her a personal apology.

"I was shaken, I was upset. I exited through the back door because I just didn’t want to go back into that crowd,” she told the newspaper.

“I came down the laneway and the campaign was passing by. I wish I had said more.”

She said Mr Harris had rang her to apologise: “He said he was very sorry and that he had a long day.

"He said it was subject he was passionate on, and I said so am I. He said there was no need for that, you were only doing your shopping, I was harsh. He said I deserved to have my say. I’m glad I got the apology.”

The Taoiseach also shared a public video regarding the exchange.

The Fine Gael leader said he is passionate about supporting disability services, after seeing his parents deal with the securing services for his brother who has autism.

He said: "I was in Kanturk last night after a very long day and was talking to a woman who works in a Section Thirty Nine disability organisation and she was raising issues with me."

"And, I want to say I didn't give her the time that I should have given her and I feel really bad about that because it's not who I am, it's not what makes me tick. I really, really, really passionately believe in disability services."

"I do hope to be able to have a longer conversation with her. I want you to know and I want her to know I'm absolutely in the business of listening, learning and of acting when it comes to disability services. I always always will be."

He added that the "people who are carers in this country are doing incredible, incredible work" that saves the government "millions and millions."

The Taoiseach's party colleague Neale Richmond told RTÉ's Saturday with Colm Ó Mongáin programme that Mr Harris intends to meet with her to hear her opinions through.

"Simon has spoken to that lady this morning," Mr Richmond said.

"They've agreed to meet and agreed to actually discuss what more needs to be done on foot of a budget where we’ve increased the carer’s grant, increased the payment, and a manifesto commitment to remove the means test as well as review the pay and salary going to Section 39 workers."