Kenny’s press chief in photos controversy

Enda Kenny’s press chief became embroiled in a major controversy last night after saying the Taoiseach had viewed the pictures of Michaela McAreavey’s corpse — only to later retract the claim.

The embarrassing episode saw government press secretary Feargal Purcell say he emailed the images to Mr Kenny, and that the Taoiseach had looked at them — an act the Tánaiste had said would be an “invasion of her family’s privacy”.

Mr Purcell then insisted he did not know if Mr Kenny had viewed the pictures or not, and later told the Irish Examiner: “The Taoiseach did not see the photographs. He was briefed on the nature of the photos by me. And on that basis, he decided the action he wanted to take.”

Asked why he had originally said the Taoiseach had looked at them, Mr Purcell said: “That was inaccurate, because I actually never put the question to him.”

It remained unclear last night how Mr Purcell had been unaware as to whether the Taoiseach had seen the pictures or not, if he had briefed Mr Kenny on their content.

Mr Purcell said he obtained the pictures himself and they did not come via the Irish diplomatic service.

On Sunday, the Taoiseach denounced publication of the pictures in a Mauritian newspaper. Eamon Gilmore said on Monday that viewing the images would be an “invasion of privacy”.

“I haven’t seen the photographs, and I don’t want to see the photographs.

“I would consider looking at those photographs to be an invasion of Michaela’s privacy and the privacy of her family.”

Mr Gilmore insisted that printing of the images “shows a total lack of respect to both her memory, and the feelings of her family who have suffered so much”.

Last night, Mr Gilmore’s spokeswoman said she did not know if the pictures had been made available to the Tánaiste, but that the Labour leader would not want to view them anyway.

In his statement on Sunday regarding the pictures being made public, Mr Kenny said: “There are issues of fundamental human rights in relation to this deeply upsetting matter.”

The Taoiseach said publication “can only add to the suffering of the McAreavey and Harte families and our thoughts and sympathies are again with them”.

Ireland has formally complained to the Mauritian government regarding their publication.

Mr Purcell said he had emailed the images to the Taoiseach so Mr Kenny could be in possession of all the facts before making a statement on the issue.

It is the second major controversy to engulf Mr Purcell in a fortnight after he complained to TV3 bosses that a woman journalist had acted in a way which was “tantamount to assault” to the Taoiseach.