"My view on (Ms Zappone's non appearance at the committee) is the same as the Taoiseach's. When somebody leaves public life, they're a private citizen, and they make their own decisions."

Katherine Zappone rejected an invitation to appear before the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee.

Despite becoming the largest party in the Dáil, Sinn Féin this week had all the appearance of a noisy perpetual opposition

Sinn Féin's Eoin O Broin had earlier said the issue of the leak matters because it is "a criminal offence"

The no-confidence motion was brought to the Dáil by Sinn Féin following the controversy surrounding the appointment of Katherine Zappone to a UN envoy role

The Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee is to write to former Children's Minister Katherine Zappone asking her to appear before it to discuss her botched appointment as UN Special Envoy on Freedom of Expression.

Leo Varadkar, Simon Coveney and Paschal Donohoe also apologised this morning to Fine Gael members over the Zappone controversy

The Taoiseach Micheál Martin was blindsided by the appointment of the former Minister in the last Fine Gael government, reportedly only made aware of the appointment at the meeting on July 27.

Cork business leaders fear fallout from the Zappone affair could affect the Irish bid to host the prestigious yacht race in 2024

Varadkar is under fire from his Fine Gael colleagues as a summer of blunders leads to the party's popularity plummeting

Far from the unified, energetic party that Varadkar took charge of in 2017, the Fine Gael of 2021 is deeply lethargic, demoralised, and fraying with internal recrimination at a level not seen since Enda Kenny’s final year

Taoiseach admits the appointment of Ms Zappone was 'not handled well' and 'the Government must learn lessons from it'.

After the controversy surrounding the near-appointment of Katherine Zappone as a United Nations special envoy, Alison O'Connor believes that Simon Coveney still has lessons to learn from his handling of the affair

Support for the foreign affairs minister comes in wake of calls to fire him over his role in the Zappone controversy

The Dublin TD called for Micheál Martin to sanction the Foreign Affairs Minister, or Sinn Féin would consider tabling a motion of no-confidence in the Fine Gael minister.

Jim O'Callaghan did not call for Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney to step down but said the process was disrespectful to the Taoiseach, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party

In this three-way coalition, were Micheál Martin to sack Mr Coveney, a Fine Gael minister, it would mark the end of the coalition and spark a general election, unless Leo Varadkar gave his okay

Sources have said the Taoiseach accepts Minister Coveney gave his testimony in good faith and he has been consistent from the outset with his belief that Katherine Zappone was not asking for a job.

Foreign affairs committee quizzes Minister as storm grows following further revelations about appointment to UN role

Simon Coveney's grilling by an Oireachtas committee today may help — but, so far, there's been no end to the mysteries around Katherine Zappone's appointment to a UN envoy role

Former Children's Minister Katherine Zappone thanked Simon Coveney back as early as March for offering her a role to represent Ireland, text messages released today show.

Micheál Martin highlighted the need for transparency on the issue

Coveney is set to appear at the Foreign Affairs Committee for a second time tomorrrow.

James Lawless described the controversy as a “Fine Gael mess” and insisted: “There’s not a single Fianna Fáil-er near this.”

Mr Coveney did not take questions from the media when he arrived at the naval base

The Zappone controversy is a mess of the Government’s own making which simply won’t go away

Zappone controversy fallout continues

In a strident letter to the committee, seen by the Irish Examiner, Simon Coveney has moved to clarify lingering concerns among committee members about testimony he gave to it earlier this week

Leo Varadkar said both he and Simon Coveney “accept our responsibility” over their handling of the affair.

Speaking in Newry on Thursday morning, Leo Varadkar rejected the saga is overshadowing the work of government

Simon Coveney is to write to the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee to make himself available to address lingering questions on the Katherine Zappone affair

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has called on the Taoiseach to take action on the controversy over the appointment of Katherine Zappone as UN special envoy

Inconsistent accounts of who knew what and when they knew it are not doing the Government any favours

Newly-released texts show that Leo Varadkar then raised the issue with Simon Coveney eight days before Taoiseach Micheál Martin learned of the appointment

During an Oireachtas briefing yesterday, Mr Coveney admitted that Ms Zappone had texted him to invite him to the event, despite his spokesperson previously stating he had not received an invitation and only learned of the event following media reports

Minister addresses the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence 

"As Foreign Affairs Minister, I made the decision to ask Katherine Zappone if she would consider the role of special envoy,” he will say

Foreign Affairs Committee Cathaoirleach Charlie Flanagan said the appointment had generated 'considerable public concern'