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SINN FÉIN HAS called on the Department of Foreign Affairs to publish all documents related to Katherine Zappone’s appointment as UN envoy.
Minister Simon Coveney is to appear before an Oireachtas committee again on Tuesday to answer further questions over the former children’s minister’s controversial appointment.
Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Charlie Flanagan has said there were “inconsistencies” in the testimony given to the committee by Coveney in an appearance this week.
Sinn Féin has called on his department to release all documents related to the appointment and indicate if any further material has been erased or is no longer available.
It emerged earlier this week that Coveney had deleted texts related to Zappone, which he said he did as a result of a phone hack in 2020.
Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy said: “We understand that some of the documents related to this affair will be published over the coming days, we would ask that that happens as quickly as possible.
“That all documents be included in the disclosure, and that the department indicate whether other documents or information relating to this debacle, whether it be text messages or others, were destroyed in the course of the past number of weeks and months.”
While the department has indicated it will publish the documents, Carthy said he was concerned as Freedom of Information requests to the Tánaiste on the matter “didn’t provide full information”.
He added: “That’s a practice that many of us have long suspected was in place for far too long.”
“Again, it goes to the heart of the lack of transparency and accountability that this Government have adopted as a hallmark.”
He added: “We also need the department to indicate whether there is information or documentation that no longer exists, that hasn’t heretofore been in the public domain.
“Whether or not older text messages were deleted, or whether other forms of communication are no longer available.”
This is a big issue because it goes to the heart of whether or not this Government can be trusted, not only on this particular issue but on the core issues.
Carthy also called on the Government to take the issue seriously, after the Taoiseach described some of the reaction to the controversy as “melodrama and over-dramatics”.
He said: “I think what we need to have in the first instance is a recognition on the part of Government that this isn’t a small issue.”
“The Taoiseach I think was insinuating that again yesterday. This is a big issue because it goes to the heart of whether or not this Government can be trusted, not only on this particular issue but on the core issues.”
“It shows that the Government still don’t get it. They don’t know or understand or appreciate why people are frustrated with the fact that a former Cabinet colleague’s had a job made up for them at the taxpayers’ expense.”
In a letter to the committee on Thursday, Coveney denied he had deleted the texts in a bid to keep them secret.
He said: “It was me who told the committee that the Tánaiste had raised the upcoming Zappone appointment with me by text and this has been shown to be completely consistent with what the Tánaiste’s text messages show.”
The minister said it was “plain wrong” to suggest he was trying to keep texts secret and rejected the idea that he misled the committee.
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One thing I’m curious about is who paid for Zappone’s bash in the Merrion hotel? That place does not come cheap and knowing Zappone’s track record with expenses (still not a word from FFG about the last RTE expose over their councilors fiddling expenses)
@Shelly Levine: I would assume she paid for it herself. Unless you have information to the contrary.
@John Mulligan: why would you assume so easily
@John Mulligan: You would assume they wouldn’t appoint someone to a made up position in the UN out of nothing else but Chronyism.
@Terry McSweeney: Cause hes a FGer, he should stick to his crayons cartoon fictions.
@Terry McSweeney: Cause hes a FGer, he should stick to his crayons & cartoon fictions.
@John Mulligan: Do you?
@John Mulligan: If I information to the contrary I wouldn’t be curious would I?
@Shelly Levine: FGers don’t like people meddling around in their clandestine dealings with publics resources. Even the ones who are kept out in the cold themselves maintain this sycophancy.
@Shelly Levine: What’s Zappones track record with expenses, I never heard anything about them, and Im doubtful if you know anything about them either Shelly.
@Terry McSweeney: you would (rightly) be upset if I assumed you were a crook, based on nothing.
Zappone, like her or not, has an impeccable reputation in that respect, so I would be extremely surprised if anything you suggest was true.
Much of the hatred against her is based on homophobia, along with jealousy at her academic achievements. The far left and far right tend to worship ignorance.
But if you have information to the contrary, I will.stand corrected.
@Da Dell: if you got that bit of wrong information from the IRA database, you might tell them they have it wrong. I was never a member of FG, and am unlikely ever to join their ranks.
And I’m also not so afraid to stand over my views that I need to hide behind a pseudonym. Although maybe I would if I couldn’t read or write properly, who knows?
Zapppone isn’t a member of FG either, as far as I know.
@Da Dell: if you got that information from the IRA database, you might let them know they have it wrong, I was never a member of FG, and I am unlikely to ever be.
I’m also not so afraid to stand over my views that I hide behind a pseudonym. Although if I was ashamed of my poor reading and writing skills, maybe I would, who knows?
As far as I know, Zappone isn’t a member of FG either. If that’s the case, your comment makes no sense at all to anybody.
Except yourself, of course, and that’s fine too.
@John Mulligan: Hide behind a pseudonym. Lol. Get a life. As if any of the commentary on here is of any importance whatsoever.
@John Mulligan: certainly would not call it hatred….The problem with Zappone was her Tenur as Minister. More F.G. than F.G.
@Vonvonic: indeed but sure that wouldn’t be unique to FG of course.
@John Mulligan: impeccable reputation? I’m sorry John, but was it not the irish times that wrote an article that Katherine Zappone was claiming an extra €16,295 in travel expenses she wasnt entitled to. She was claiming she lived more than 25km from the Dail, even though she was less than 21km away. When pulled on it she claimed that she took a diffrent, longer route to work because she tought it would be faster. Putting those four extra kms on gave her that extra €16,295 and that is hard working tax payers money. She has not got an immpeccable reputation. Not in this tax payers eyes anyway.
@Shelly Levine: your curious about that. Really
@John Mulligan: he’d love some for his curiosity
@Gordon Larney: Ah come on now. She’s Katherine Zappone. She is entitled to all that, and evrythig else she can get.
@John Mulligan: I just cannot understand why the Zappone thing is being blown up out of all proportion ——-Have people nothing more important to rant about ?
@Shelly Levine: and the first thing we do publicly is go of topic….
No wonder ee get no answers for anything!
Is about Zapponie and a request for publishing the documents…. All government produced documents should be public!
@John Mulligan: Never assume anything when politicians are involved
@Anthony Doyle: It’s fairly safe to assume that they’ll lie to cover their tracks.
@Anthony Doyle: I know.
https://twitter.com/TadghMurphy10/status/1433832266594201600?s=20
@John Mulligan: well he’s asking who paid for it so hardly has information to the contrary
I know politicians has never been clean as a whistle, but if you think about fellas like Brian Lenihan, Hugh Covney, Albert Reynolds; At least they knew when their actions were beneath their station and that their time was up. Nowadays, these fellas just absolve themselves and drive on… No shame whatsoever. Politics in this country operates under a very scant set of priciples these days.
@Vonvonic: This government doesn’t understand the meaning of the word principles.
@Franny Ando: nor the opposition.
@GrumpyAulFella: certainly not the opposition
https://twitter.com/TadghMurphy10/status/1433832266594201600?s=20
@John Mulligan: But this isn’t about the opposition. It’s about the government. Will every article and comment fromm now on have to be about everything there is in the universe in order to satify your insatiable thirst for conflation?
@Vonvonic: They may have cut corners but they served our country well at very difficult times. Our police force was stretched, our army were on continuous alert, business people were being kidnapped and bank officials worked in fear of their lives. We are in a far better place now. Long may it last.
@Vonvonic: it’s the opposition that is making a big deal of something that is very small indeed. Although I’m sure SF will be equally loud in their condemnation of Mary Lou mcdonald and her choice of friends.
https://twitter.com/TadghMurphy10/status/1433832266594201600?s=20
We called for the locations of all missing in the north to be released from sf and that never happened
@Lorrimore: Defelection… Own goal.
@Lorrimore: I was wondering how far down id need to go for some good old what aboutery
But of course they do.
The rest of us, frankly, couldn’t care less about this non-story.
But maybe while SF is ‘calling for’ stuff, they might tell us where the remainder of the disappeared are buried. Or maybe they’d ‘call for’ the murderers of Paul Quinn to come forward and explain how this post-GFA killing advanced the cause of a united Ireland.
@John Mulligan: No John you FGers dont seem to care as its business as usual for ye. Scandals and debacles for over a decade now. Your party leader under a criminal investigation and denies its an issue while saying before last GE that other certain FG people had caused damage to FG credibility. Party of Law, order, political responsibility and accountability my backside.
@John Mulligan: “The rest of us” frankly do care John. The only people who are pretending it’s a non story, are the quarter or so of the electorate who vote blue shirt.
@John Mulligan: wow, you really went all out there with the deflection John. Bravo, that should get you a pat on the head at the next party gathering. Lol.:)
@Vonvonic: Exactly…John would be doing his nut if the was SF in government…One thing FG’rs and their minions do very well is hypocrisy
@John Mulligan: Your anti Sinn Fein comments are well known so stop trying to deflect from the issue at hand.
Meanwhile we have questionable actions about two senior Ministers , of the same party, that are in Government. We are entitled to answers . They work for the people, they are paid from public funds and they are elected to represent the people that put them in their jobs . They should be made accountable for their actions.
In the case of so called deleted emails , it is common knowledge that any computer expert can retrieve deleted emails if asked to so. It’s a common practice in fraud and criminal trials and I cannot see why it should not be used in this case.
It is past time that we get politicians with integrity and honour
@Da Dell: https://twitter.com/IrishTimesPol/status/1433580762666713095?s=19
Trouble ahead
@Vonvonic: I’ve never voted FG and I think it’s a minor story…..a lot more relevant things there for the opposition to get their teeth into, like the pie in the sky “new” housing initiative…. And SF bleating on about “misleading” the Dail is laughable.
I’d much rather Sinn Fein release all information re the locations of the disappeared, the people that were dumped into unmarked graves during the troubles. I’d like to see all information re the people who carried out atrocities in their name provided to the police both north and south of the border. I’d like to see justice/accountability for the many families of the many victims. I’d even settle for acknowledgment of the pain and suffering that was inflicted in their name on so many people both catholic and Protestant.
@Martin O Connell: Is it election time?
@Mike: for the families and victims it doesn’t matter what time it is. In my opinion Mike I’d say it’s “about time” they acknowledged the terror they brought to the people of this island.
@Martin O Connell: Someone collect their da he’s drunk
@Martin O Connell: That comment would be the last line of defence from Varadkar and Coveney.
@Martin O Connell: and should FFG pass on details on the 100 + people disappeared down in Cork also or does this just apply to SF
What happened your other account Patrick ?
@Donal Desmond: it should be the only line!!!! Until such time as the victims of their terror campaign have the answers they want.
@James Beattie: nope, my names isn’t Patrick, I would have thought my name was obvious. It is spelt correctly above.
@Mike: thanks for contributing. Typical SF supporter reply to a difficult topic.
@Martin O Connell: you never answered my first question. Finding the answer a bit awkward ?
@James Beattie: which 100 are you talking about??? I have no recollection of FfFg being in charge of a terrorist organisation while pretending to be something else.
@Martin O Connell:
Did you request that from Unionist paramilitaries who are still active? Or from the Brits?
Or from FF’s terrorist IRA? Or FG’s violent Blueshirts?
Do you ask for the unmarked graves of the infanticide that FF/FG gave us for 8 decades?
@Dean: I believe all the questions you’ve asked are being addressed and spoken about!!! Some of them have been answered in great detail. Because of FF and FG, we will have reports and great detail acknowledging and addressing those issues. That’s a damned hell of a lot more than we can ever expect from the party of hate and terror.
@Martin O Connell: I would suggest you contact your local TD and request that he / She request this information. That would be a good start because you sure aint going to get in in the Journal Comments section…. But you know that dont you….Tut Tut
@Martin O Connell: the English invasion in Ireland is over 800 yrs old, so I am sure you will find FFG caught up in vile acts such as tying civilians to landmines and blowing them to bits, disappearing people, ethnic cleansing Protestants etc etc. You need to get a history book and educate yourself.
@James Beattie: your talking about a period of war, famine, resistance., risings. The leaders of that time have nothing to apologise for.
The terrorists of the 70s 80s and 90s are nothing like the hero’s of Irish independence/freedom.
@Martin O Connell: why because it was only “northern” Catholics being murdered and forced from their communities and their homes burned down with full UK government backing ?? It was a necessary evil the same as Tone,Emmet, McSwiney, Connolly,Collins etc.
Don’t forget our government stood idly by and allowed this to happen.
@Mr Bordello: we will definitely disagree with one another on that point. The SF/Army Council leadership and the likes have no place amongst the great Irish freedom fighters of the past. They targeted men women and children with equal levels of viciousness. They killed catholics as-well as Protestants. Pregnant women blown to bits, children murdered, children left parent less and the victims remains discarded in unmarked graves denying the families the comfort of giving their loved ones a proper burial. They are not now and never will be great Irish freedom fighters.
@Martin O Connell: ah I get it now. FFG are were good terrorists for tying civilians to landmines and blowing them to bits. On the other hand IRA were bad terrorists
@Martin O Connell: the heroes of Irish independence/freedom that you talk of have been romanticised and sanitised. You’re naive if you think that they were any different to those of the recent past. The founding governments of this state were made up of people considered as terrorists at the time.
Who really and truly gives a toss about any of this, like listening to school children squabble about sweets
@PAUL BOHAN: Maybe Russia or N Korea would be more up your street.. The rest of us here would prefer a government that doesn’t tell lies every day..
@Mike: and an opposition without blood on its hands
@Lesidees: I think you could point to most of the parties for that, or how far back do you want to go?
@PAUL BOHAN: banana republic politics
@James Reardon: let’s say 1930 for FF and FG …… Let’s BE very generous and say 2000 for the Shinners…. BIG DIFFERENCE!!!!
FFG have no one to blame here but themselves.. This story should have been long gone by now but their arrogance and inability to tell the truth has meant its rolled on and on…Youd think they would learn but when your that arrogant I suppose its difficult
I know politicians has never clean as a whistle, but if you think about fellas like Brian Lenihan, Hugh Covney, Albert Reynolds; At least they knew when their actions were beneath their station and that their time was up. Nowadays, these fellas just absolve themselves and drive on… No shame whatsoever. Politics in this country operates under a very scant set of priciples these days.
In the past year or so we have seen enough evidence that says FFG are corrupt muppets clinging to their ministerial seats and continuing treating general public like we are dumb enough not to understand that they all have to go with immediate effect. This country was sold for future posts in private sector by FFG. Time to go less.
This news story is going on a while, you would know it’s the silly season….
@Joseph Ryan: the press don’t seem to want to let this go do they? Maybe there is even more to come out from this story than we have already been told Joseph….
Those documents will never be published because everything done under the table
Surely Simon shredded them all. Can’t be too careful you know.
Shinners eill not let this go, do pathetic.
We have a good government .They are getting us through this pandemic, financially as well. Sinn Fein know this and they are seeking every angle to embarrass the government ad they csnnot fault them on getting us thru this Covid
I have done my own biy og survey dowm here in the south and nobody I have spoken to want a SF government.
@Pat Mulcahy: I hope the people who you surveyed, understood what they have been asked. Based on your post above, id say you might want to lay off the drink a little…
@Pat Mulcahy: so you’ve spoken to maybe three people?
Of course they did
And maybe they will be upfront about the money donated to them
Yes ..of course SF would .
Amazing how everyone has forgotten about the SF leadership all trucking up to Belfast for a funeral.
have your say