Callely transport claims were ‘guesswork’

AN EMBARRASSED Junior Transport Minister, Ivor Callely, last night made a humbling climb down after receiving a public rebuttal from his superior, Martin Cullen.

Having announced a series of new transport initiatives on Monday - quickly branded “guesswork” by Minister Cullen - a defiant Minister Callely initially told reporters that he stood by his comments.

“I was putting a marker down, fighting for Dublin as a Dublin-based minister, outlining the achievements to date.

“What I have said is nothing new. The development of a metro link has been on the agenda for some time,” he insisted.

However, Minister Callely quickly adopted a more sombre approach yesterday, after reports depicted him as waging a defiant war against Martin Cullen.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner last night, the Dublin TD insisted he was at one with Mr Cullen.

“I’m not at war. Myself and Martin Cullen work on the mandate that we have in the Department of Transport and there is no war,” he said.

When asked whether he agreed that he had been publicly slapped down by his senior minister, Minister Callely said: “We don’t differ on these issues. I am happy to work with Martin Cullen as a team. Both of us have the same agenda.”

Asked whether he regretted the premature announcement of measures which had not yet been approved by Government, Minister Callely, said he had only spoken to the press about an address he made to a Fianna Fail meeting.

But he refused to admit he had overstepped the mark in outlining €16 billion in new transport measures which had not yet been approved by Cabinet.

“What I was doing was addressing a Fianna Fail meeting, and I was only outlining the achievements in respect of transport developments and the need to continue to invest widely,” he said.

A spokesman for Minister Cullen last night said the minister had nothing to add to his previous Dáil comments that the announcement in question had been “guesswork” which was “not based on fact.”

Labour Senator Derek McDowell last night accused Minister Callely of making wild promises with no basis in fact, christening him “calamity Callely.”

“Last month Calamity announced that his Department would be taking steps to have the increases in levies for motorists on the toll bridges reversed. Again, this media announcement was a figment of the Minister’s imagination with the Department subsequently stating that they have no such plans,” he said.