Minister of State for European Affairs Helen McEntee has spoken about Brexit on both radio and TV in Britain in recent days.
She has received praise for these appearances, but one Twitter user has taken issue with her attire.
Aidan Regan, Assistant Professor at the School of Politics and International Relations at UCD, tweeted that McEntee's decision to wear a crucifix was "embarrassing". The tweet has since been deleted, but he joined us on The Last Word to explain the reason behind it.
Speaking about the symbol in relation to the Catholic Church, he said: "Whether people like it or not, given the terrorism that has been inflicted on children in this country, that symbol has a relatively negative connotation with a relatively authoritarian past."
He also said the "enthno-nationalist conflict" that underpins the Northern Irish question also has be acknowledged as it is bound up with identity, and therefore wearing a crucifix is "not the best political statement to make."
We were also joined by Terry Prone, chairman of The Communications Clinic, to discuss the issue further.
