Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
HEALTH MINISTER SIMON Harris has said the interview with Fine Gael TD Maria Bailey about her insurance claim case against a hotel was “unfortunate”.
Fine Gael sources said party HQ was not made aware that Bailey would be on the programme, and said it was “discourteous” of RTÉ not to inform them that Bailey was due to be on the radio show ahead Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty.
Speaking to reporters at the RDS, Harris said it would have been appropriate for Bailey to meet with the Taoiseach before taking to the airwaves this morning on RTÉ’s Sean O’Rourke programme.
“I think that is regrettable that didn’t happen in advance of the interview, I think that would have been an important that he was afforded the opportunity to have that meeting with Maria, she obviously made the decision to go on radio this morning,” said Harris.
“My understanding is that is a decision she made of her own volition, as is her right. I think it would have been better if she had the meeting with the Taoiseach first.”
Minister Simon Harris says Maria Bailey should have met with the Taoiseach before going on the radio today. pic.twitter.com/F23iqMwsuI
— TheJournal Politics (@TJ_Politics) May 27, 2019
When asked about the interview, the health minister said:
“I think it was an unfortunate interview. I think when you withdraw a claim I think it is in and of itself an acknowledgement of the fact that perhaps that claim shouldn’t have proceeded, yet the interview seems to be very much in the space of blaming lots of other people.”
Speaking on the radio, Bailey said the media “has crossed the line of public invasion and humanity” in the controversy over her now-dropped personal injury claim against a Dublin hotel.
The Dún Laoghaire TD drew criticism last week after it emerged that she had filed legal proceedings against the Dean Hotel after she fell from a swing at the venue.
The hotel denies any negligence.
Bailey had claimed she suffered injuries to her head, lower back and hip in the alleged incident.
In an interview with RTÉ’s Sean O’Rourke this morning, Bailey defended her claim and said she was “genuinely hurt” by the fall.
Bailey interview
Bailey was strongly critical of the media for its coverage of the story, saying it acted as “judge, jury and executioner” in the case.
“Due to the unbelievable abuse, I wasn’t able to go home for three days last week because journalists were sitting at my home. That is an invasion of my privacy and humanity has been crossed,” Bailey said.
“This has obviously been a very stressful time, I can imagine on a personal level for Maria for her family, I don’t wish to say anything to add to that,” added Harris.
Harris indicated that the case caused damage to Fine Gael’s election campaign, stating:
“I think members up and down the country would have appreciated if it [the insurance claim] was going to be withdrawn that it happened before the local and European elections and not after. I think perhaps had that situation happened the situation could have been more effectively dealt with.”
Fine Gael reaction
Some Fine Gael members have reacted to the interview, stating that they are in disbelief as to why Bailey thought it would be a good move to go on the radio programme.
One Fine Gael source said: “It’s possibly the worst political interview I’ve ever heard.”
They added that it was a complete “solo run” by the TD to take to the radio, describing it as a “car crash” interview.
Another Fine Gael TD said the interview shows a serious lack of judgement on the part of Bailey. They said they have a lot of empathy for her, “probably more than anyone else in the party”, but said going on the radio programme was a “rookie mistake” that an experienced politician wouldn’t make.
“My heart goes out to her… I feel very upset about it… I don’t think she did it intentionally, but she has caused huge damage to the party,” they added.
‘Solo run’
Party sources said they heard about the interview just like everyone else when she was live on air. It is understood that she was advised not to do any media interviews about the case.
Speaking to Sean O’Rourke, Doherty said it’s a “pity” Bailey did the interview as part of a “series of judgement errors in my opinion”.
“I think she did herself a disservice this morning,” she said.
A number of TDs have said the case definitely had an impact on the Fine Gael local election result, with one TD stating that it could have lost about 100 votes or more per candidate, which affected those candidates who are on the edge of getting elected.
During the interview, Bailey was asked about the specifics of her fall, which occurred before she was elected as a TD in 2016.
“We purchased a drink each at the bar, which we didn’t consume,” she said.
We went up in the lift, we saw the swings. Nobody was drunk, nobody was messing. They’re like polished woods these seats, I sat in them, I did have a bottle of beer in my hand and next I knew I was on the floor.
“I had my beer in my hand and I was reaching for my friend, who had a bottle of wine, she was taking her camera out of her jacket. I then found myself on the floor, I was mortified,” she added.
Bailey was specifically asked whether she had things in both hands when she fell off the swing. The TD responded that this was not for her to answer.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
You can make tea and take long breaks when at home. It’s a good fit right enough
@v39e84kK: You can make tea in the office aswell. Whats your point?
@v39e84kK: I’ll try again. You last reply to me was deleted by The Jouranal. Don’t attempt anything like that again, unless you want to end up in court.
@v39e84kK: You can make tea and take long breaks in the office environment too. Have seen many examples of this over the years in private and public sector jobs.
@Belebopz: That’s the joke.
@David A. Murray: Sound.
@v39e84kK: It’s not a joke, more a backhanded aside about public and civil servants. Go make me a cup of tea will you seeing as you have time on your hands there.
@v39e84kK: I trust me understand each other. What’s typed on the Internet is permanently there (even if deleted, it’s still on record). I want no public association (either visible or not) with that person. I can understand that we can all react on the Internet and type something we would wish to take back (or have worded differently), but I cannot afford any connection to be made, even if it was indirect.
@v39e84kK: Do not question authority.
If there’s any inefficiency or increased agro for tax payers then they should have to go back in person. I don’t trust civil service or state sector to ensure people are actually working from home.
@Damon16: maybe you should talk to someone about you’re trust issues ?
@Damon16: This implies you trust them currently!
Policy documents like this are all well and good but it will never be implemented as it’s written down, as it always comes down to the managers to do things right. I’ve a friend in the civil service who was being forced into the office, to do virtual meetings. Absolutely no rhyme or reason, other than micromanagement. In another Dept, all stats have gone up since wfh and backlogs greatly decreased.
Of course there will be people who will do nothing when at home … but they are the same people who do nothing when they’re in work either
Any chance the Motor Tax office can open ?
I know the folks in there will be filled with dread at the thought of risking their lives returning to work during a , eh , pandemic. The rest of seemed to fair ok returning to work long ago , with a low enough body count .
An anomaly on the online platform has been preventing me from donating to the tax fund for 9 months with no help on line .
@Keith Flood: Motor Tax Office in my local authority has been open to the public for months now
Let’s pretend there was no pandemic. Get up off your a*r*s*e*s & get to the office. Like retail staff, like doctors & nurses. Like every other hard working employee around the country.
@John Barry: Working from home does not make you less hard working or less effective. Some tasks I can do from home and some require me to be on site. Depends on the task. Just because hard-working shop workers, doctors and nurses jobs need to be on-site, doesn’t mean every hard-working worker should be on site. The pandemic has meant that thinking on working from home has changed. We can’t unknow what we learned, so going back to all pre-pandemic work practices makes no sense.
@Mickey Finn: very true. In general I have been more productive since working from home as I don’t get those constant interruptions from small talk or general office noise. Also, I am more likely to finish off a task in the evening, as I am not worried about missing a train/bus, and not shattered from the commute.
Hope that some private companies will follow this example, as the Right to Request Remote Work Bill as not been enacted yet, and it is already facing some serious opposition from Employers’ groups.
@Dr. Emmett Lathrop: It’s so Ireland that we are making a bill on allowing people to ASK for things. Amazing. Truly is a microcosm of everything wrong with Irish politics.
@Dr. Emmett Lathrop:
We only have to go in one day a month now for team meetings.
They’re after pulling out most of the desks & converting the office space to blocks of meeting rooms with all the latest tech in them.
100” Microsoft surface screens in the larger ones and 50” ones in the smaller. Full digital conference facilities. Really quite impressive.
@Dr. Emmett Lathrop: You already have the right to request wfh from your employer. As long as your employer has the right to refuse said request then I’d be more than happy for the bill to proceed. He who pays the piper calls the tune as the saying goes.
Or to put it another way they will work from the office 80 percent of the time (4 days a week).
What a crock of nonsense.
We were allowed to WFH one day a week before covid. So they are just reverting back to what was there before. Very progressive.
the kind of article to stir up envy…
It doesn’t effect me one way or the other but this government is bizarre with its reversals, it depends which way the wind is blowing
40,000 civil servants, huh, I live off Fishamble street, next to the Dublin City Council building, the street has missive pot holes and graffiti on the street bins. What do they do again? Their a joke, privatize it all.
have your say