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EMBATTLED COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER Denis Naughten has announced he is to resign his position.
He made the announcement in the Dáil this afternoon.
Speaking in the Dáil this afternoon, Naughten said he had a meeting with the Taoiseach last night, in which Leo Varadkar asked him to reflect on his position.
“The Taoiseach does not have confidence in me,” he said.
Naughten said he was left in a difficult position, where the opposition had not called for him to step aside, nor had the Taoiseach, but added that he had to reflect himself.
Do I wait for that decision myself, to resign, or do I wait for someone else to make that decision for me?
He said the outcome “is more about opinion polls than telephone polls. It’s more about optics than fibre optics”.
Naughten has been in the spotlight following revelations about a dinner he had with the head of the only group bidding for the National Broadband Plan contract.
Naughten admitted to attending a dinner with David McCourt – head of the Granahan McCourt consortium – in New York in July, while yesterday it emerged that the minister facilitated a lunch in the Dáil for McCourt’s daughter in April.
He told the Dáil today that he had offered to pass over the NBP process to his junior minister, or to another line Cabinet minister, but this offer was refused by the Taoiseach.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie today about the matter, Varadkar revealed that while he was still seeking clarity on protocols that prevent the minister from influencing the procurement process, he was nonetheless happy with the explanation Naughten gave him last night.
He said: “I don’t have all the information yet. I’m certainly satisfied with what he said to me last night at the meeting.
“I just need to look at the communications protocol for myself and need to hear from him if he has any further information to share with us.”
After his speech the minister left the chamber.
Speaking after his resignation today, his counterpart in Fianna Fáil, Timmy Dooley, said he had “great sympathy” for Naughten today, and for his family and constituency.
A number of TDs have called for the Taoiseach to come before the Dáil this afternoon. On a side note, the Department of Communications website is down.
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Surrogacy is exploitative IMHO. No one, gay or straight, is entitled to be a parent. I know that’s harsh but it’s also true.
@Sean Ryan: entitled? Yes I think that’s a fair point but those who can’t have children or have difficulty having them or those in same sex relationships should be given every opportunity to fulfil that need. I have met people who not been able to have children. It has cost them huge amounts of money even relationships & I think these people often deserve more help and support.
@Allora: I see it as a “want” rather than a “need”. People can be supported in wanting a child without surrogacy.
Babies rights ignored as usual
The whole idea of surrigacy is gruesomd
I’ve heard the same people make the argument that the sex trade commodities women’s bodies to the highest bidder, whilst also supporting surrogacy which commodities women’s bodies to the highest bidder.
@Ivor McTin: Really? You’re comparing someone bringing a life into the world to someone getting their hole? You do realise in the majority of cases surrogate mothers don’t actually have sex with the father. Why do you find a woman doing the most natural thing in the world- having a baby, offensive if it’s entirely a free and willing choice?
@David F. Dwyer: having a someone else’s baby for cash, without having to do the deed, is hardly what one would call “the most natural thing in the world” mate – lolz.
Also you are projecting “offense” on to the guy’s post. He was making an observation about other people – not getting outraged himself – jeez.
@UK Hurling Bloke: Why did you put “offense” in quotes when I used the adjective in its correct form, not a misspelling of the noun? Try reading what a person says instead of projecting yourself, you dink.
P.S. sorry for you that you consider procreation unnatural.
@David F. Dwyer: it’s not a free and willing choice, it’s a lucrative and willing choice.
@Coco Walsh: So what?
Because Ireland clearly has not faked enough birth certificates in the past
Sorry to break it to some of you, but not every surrogate does it for money.. some offer to become a surrogate for friends or family because all other options have been exhausted… it’s the greatest gift that can be given …
have your say