Fine Gael’s Simon Coveney and Fianna Fáil’s Dara Calleary in the Dáil today
Fianna Fáil TD Dara Calleary opened Leaders’ Questions this afternoon.
He put questions to Tánaiste Simon Coveney – who was stepping in for Taoiseach Leo Varadkar – about Minister for Communications Denis Naughten’s contact with a PR official on behalf of INM in relation to a proposed takeover by INM of Celtic Media Group.
Readers will recall Minister Naughten has told the Dail that, on either November 10 or 11, 2016, he told Eoghan Ó Neachtain, of Heneghan PR, that he would likely send the matter to the BAI.
However, according to an email sent from Nigel Heneghan, founder of Heneghan PR, to Leslie Buckley, former chairman of INM, on November 12, 2016, Mr Heneghan wrote:
“The information, following Eoghan’s call with the minister which happened yesterday afternoon, is based on advice from his officials, he will pass it to the Broadcasting Commision [sic] of Ireland for review, because of the overall ownership of print and broadcast titled by DOB [Denis O’Brien].”
Minister Naughten didn’t take any note of the mobile phone call or tell his officials, while Mr Ó Neachtain did not register the exchange with the Lobbying Register.
During his contribution to the Dáil, Mr Calleary said: “Tánaiste, this stinks.”
During his response, Mr Coveney said of what Mr Naughten disclosed to the INM lobbyist: “He [Minister Naughten] was stating the obvious.”
Previously: “I Sincerely Regret Expressing My Opinion…I Said Nothing Wrong”
It won’t stop stinking until naughten goes..
Adios Denny..
He’ll get a lovely great big ministerial pension for his troubles.
Yes but he’ll only be remembered for being a treacherous stooge..
In Ireland that’s enough. Look at Lowry. His name is muck but he’s rich and his cabbage raping sister eating sheep marrying constituents continue to pay him.
This comment needs commas. I thought his sister raped a cabbage.
I was thinking how do you rape a cabbage? ‘Sister eating’ is self explanatory…maybe?
And what is wrong with cabbage? You have clearly never tried my cabbage, mung bean and pickled walnut soup. Or my slow baked creamy colcannon.
Boo @ cabbage-phobia.
How else are cabbage patch dolls made? Ha? Well?
Any one got a translator
It does not matter a jot if he was stating the obvious. Just follow the procedure, declare that you’ve lobbied, declare that someone lobbied to you. A little bit of transparency at the offset and it’s okay but it just reeks of scratch my back etc.
He was pulling a stroke, you know it, I know it and so does everyone else. That’s how these guys operate, they were helping out their good pal [he who must not be named] and they got caught red handed. Of course this being an Irish politician he will never resign voluntarily.
Oh I know he was, but he could’ve easily avoided all this
He could have avoided it by upholding his position and telling his pal to bugger off, but thats not how these guys operate is it.