Senator Jim Walsh caused uproar in the Seanad today when he asked if “somebody could please give Senator (Ivana) Bacik treatment for haemorrhoids”.

Senator Walsh made the remark as a ‘point of order’, and it caused uproar, with Senators David Norris and Bacik angered by the remark.

The row erupted during a debate on RTE’s coverage of the abortion issue, following yesterday’s ruling by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland in which the Authority upheld complaints against Ray D’Arcy show for an interview with Amnesty International’s Colm O’Gorman. The Authority found that D’Arcy had breached the broadcasting legislation “for fairness, objectivity, and impartiality in news and current affairs”.

Shortly before Mr Walsh’s remarks, Senator Ronan Mullen had criticised Labour for calling for the removal of religion from schools but not criticising RTE’s coverage of the abortion debate.

“If you only object to bias when it upsets your point of view you’re no real democrat, ye go on like harpies every time someone calls for simple fairness” he said.

It was Mullen’s “harpies” remark that appeared to escalate the rhetoric in the upper chamber. In the ensuing shouting match Senator Walsh rose to his feet and asked if “somebody could please give Senator Bacik treatment for haemorrhoids?”

WATCH: Senator Jim Walsh asks if someone can get Senator Bacik "treatment for haemorrhoids" (The remark comes at 4.35)

(Video via Gavan Reilly/Today Fm)

Calls to "dismantle RTE"

During today’s debate Mr Walsh called for the “dismantling of the State broadcaster.

“Perhaps it’s time for us to get together and refuse to pay our RTE licence fee,” he said.

“Certainly it would not be my attention that the pro-abortion, pro-killing of unborn babies policy which endemic in Rte would be allowed continue.