Staff and politicians were asked to travel to other parts of Leinster House via underground tunnels after a junior Minister became unwell yesterday in the afternoon, the Irish Mirror reported.
Minister of State Peter Burke was in the upper house, addressing the Seanad on the water environment abstractions bill, when he became unwell and asked for the sitting to be paused at around 4:30pm. The Seanad was suspended for several hours after that and sources said Oireachtas ushers called a doctor for the Fine Gael TD.
A number of medical professionals were already in the building at the time giving a presentation, the source said. Mr Burke, 40, was examined by a doctor who called an ambulance as a precaution.
Several corridors leading to the front of the building were closed off when the ambulance was outside, with staff and politicians asked to travel to other parts of the building via underground tunnels. The Senead resumed after 6pm.
A Fine Gael spokesperson confirmed that Mr Burke was taken to hospital. "He became unwell in the Seanad and was taken to hospital as a precaution,” they said.
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