A SPOKESMAN for the government has said there is no meaning to a video clip of Enda Kenny making a 'punching' gesture in the Dáil, during a speech by Mary Lou McDonald.

The clip is taken from yesterday's Budget debates, as Mary Lou McDonald offered Sinn Féin's reaction to the budget speeches of Michael Noonan and Brendan Howlin.

While Deputy McDonald was offering her reaction - claiming the government did not have a genuine plan to deliver a fair economic recovery - the camera cut back to the Taoiseach, who was seen making a punching gesture.

This afternoon a spokesman for the Taoiseach said there was no meaning to the gesture seen in the footage.

"The Taoiseach was paying close attention to the Deputy's speech, as he had to all Budget speeches given yesterday," the spokesman said.

"Analysing a four-second video for meaning that doesn't exist is pointless."