This afternoon.
Via RTÉ:
Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald (above) said if the Taoiseach fails to act, Sinn Féin would take action and a no-confidence motion would be on the table.
She said that Mr Coveney’s behaviour was not of the standard expected of a minister.
Asked again if Sinn Féin would table that no-confidence motion, she said: “It could come to that.”
Taoiseach must sack Coveney today – McDonald (RTÉ)
Earlier…
This afternoon.
Earlier…
Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney before the Committee on Foreign Affairs yesterday over the appointment of Katherine Zappone to a special UN envoy role last July
This morning.
Following Simon Coveney’s appearance at an oireachtas hearing to explain the appointment of Katherine Zappone to a position within the UN…
…via Irish Times:
An Oireachtas committee is not the place to go for forensic interrogation. But between rambling speeches yesterday, a number of incisive questioners succeeded in highlighting the legitimate reasons for public disquiet over the affair.
They may not have disproved Coveney’s version of events, but even that account presents a decidedly unflattering picture. If one were to accept everything Coveney says at face value – and many certainly will not – he made at least five big mistakes.
He failed to see that there might be anything wrong with unilaterally appointing a former colleague to a nice position in New York, or the political impact that might have.
In March he failed to tell Zappone she had not actually been offered that job even though her texts to him clearly show she believed that to be the case – well before Department of Foreign Affairs officials began thinking about creating an envoy role.
He blindsided the Taoiseach by failing to tell him about the appointment before it came up at Cabinet.
He deleted official records which should be kept for archiving and transparency purposes and admitted that he does this routinely (Coveney’s definition of official business was extremely narrow and totally unconvincing).
And, when the controversy ignited, he gave partial and confusing evidence to an Oireachtas committee.
Coveney is adamant that the envoy role was not designed for Zappone, and that its creation was the result of extensive deliberations in his department. But the plain fact is that Zappone got it because she had a direct line into the Minister.’
A Debacle Of His Own Making (irish Times)
Yesterday:
Pic: Oireachtas TV
