From top: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (left) and Denis Naughten; Pat Breen, Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection

This evening.

Further to the resignation of the Minister for Communications. Denis Naughten…

Mr Varadkar said he was informed late last night by Mr Naughten of a private dinner he had attended at Mr McCourt’s home in 2017.

This dinner was organised by Minister for State Pat Breen, who was also at the dinner.

This morning, Mr Naughten told Mr Varadkar that he had had at least three further private dinners with Mr McCourt. No officials were present and no minutes of the meetings were taken.

Mr Varadkar also informed the Dáil that he had met Mr McCourt last March in the US at a public event but th ebroadband plan was not discussed.

Taoiseach reveals further dinners with Naughten and broadband bidder (RTÊ)

Earlier: Picking Up The Tab

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32 thoughts on “More Dinners

    1. giggidygoo

      Leo threw him under the bus too. Another ‘Independent’ next time out..
      But we do, now, need minutes of Varadkars meeting with Dinny in Davos back in February.

    2. Why do I even care?

      yes – but not too much

      can’t be upsetting the voting arithmetic with budget vote looming

      have to put the country first and all that

    1. johnny

      this is Breen’s US trip-Ken Foxe
      may cost him (you guys) a lot more than this……….
      “To make sure he could do both, Enterprise Ireland paid €4,398 for him to travel from Minneapolis to Malaga last September. The cost was driven up by an overnight business class flight from the US to Paris, where Mr Breen caught his connecting flight to Spain. The outgoing trip from Dublin to Minneapolis via Chicago had only cost €887, bringing the total cost to €5,285. The ticket was part of over €30,000 spent on the three-day mission, records from Enterprise Ireland reveal.”
      https://extra.ie/2017/10/15/news/irish-news/ministers-flights-family-bash-cost-taxpayer-e4k

        1. johnny

          Bodger-some info on a ’17 Breen trip here to Oklahoma!
          ‘DFAT Saint Patricks Day trip Oklahoma” ?

          https://dbei.gov.ie/en/Publications/Publication-files/Expenses-for-Minister-Breen-March-2017.pdf

          will try track down his ’17 trips in US.

          (WTF was he doing in Oklahoma)

          Was at SXSW for IE trade show then mysteriously flew to Oklahoma but not related to IE)

          https://www.enterprise-ireland.com/en/News/PressReleases/2017-Press-Releases/Enterprise-Ireland-brings-11-client-companies-to-exhibit-at-largest-event-of-its-kind-in-in-Texas-USA.html

    1. Cian

      Jeez, you’re obsessed with me.

      I haven’t been following this – but yes – it looks like Naughten did wrong.

    1. SOQ

      Leo wears travel suits from Jeff Banks. They are great. You could sleep in them (in a car) for a full week and they still look the same.

  1. Dub Spot

    Speaking of broad – what was all that stuff about obesity again? Anyone get a video of ministerial car at Blanch Krispy Kremes?

  2. Alan mc gee

    Varadker is defending all of this by trying the high horse of ‘when one is in a ministerial role you meet CEOs, chairmen etc. This is all normal above board and done all the time.’

    He’s wrong. That is not a normal or legitimate way to do business. It’s called cronyism. Its called unfair advantage. It’s called corruption.

    Denis Naughten met McCourt privately. He bought him dinner. He allowed McCourts children access to the Private Members restaurant of Dáil Éireann for a party?!?.

    Did he meet the other parties that tendered for national broadband in the same manner? With the same preferential treatment?

    Varadkers position is as untenable as Naughtens if he sees this as a fair and reasonable way to do business.

    1. Martco

      Naughten now saying that he DID tell Varadkar about ALL the meetings.
      Maybe he should have taken a leaf out of Maurice McCabe’s book and carried a tape recorder. (not that it’s that important but I know which of them I believe)

      Watch the snakes eat each other.

  3. Murtles

    Three degrees of [REDACTED] who frankly has not got one state contract without some shenanigans be it from Esat Digifone to Siteserve and the water metres. But don’t worry, this hoo haw won’t stop Actavo getting the contract. There may be a bit a distraction tactics (such as this resignation) by the Government but they’ll get it and I’ll buy a hat and eat it if Naughten is not on some related board of directors in 5 years time.

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