Callely defends car ‘inducement’ to aide

JUNIOR MINISTER Ivor Callely last night defended offering a new car to a member of his staff to prevent his resignation.

The beleaguered junior minister broke a 24-hour silence to admit that he offered his parliamentary assistant Niall Phelan an “inducement” to stay, after he informed Mr Callely that he was leaving.

But questions still hang over Mr Callely’s future as a junior minister, following what Mr Phelan described as the wholly inappropriate offer to him.

Tánaiste Mary Harney yesterday spoke of concerns and difficulties arising from the episode.

“If public servants in particular feel they are not in a position to work with a particular minister, clearly there are difficulties,” she said.

However, the sentiments of the Taoiseach on the controversy remained unknown yesterday. He refused to comment on the situation.

Mr Callely has become embroiled in a series of controversies this month over the appearance of his picture in adverts for Operation Freeflow and difficulties with staff within his ministerial office.

Two weeks ago, his secretary, a civil servant, sought a transfer after Minister Callely told her to attend a political function. The departure of Mr Phelan came in the wake of reports that several other staff in his ministerial office had sought transfers.

According to reliable sources, Mr Callely’s approach to his ministerial brief - and the demands he puts on those he works with him - has led to alienation.

Defending the inducement he offered to Mr Phelan to withdraw his resignation, Mr Callely told RTÉ last night that he would have paid for it from his own personal funds.

“I certainly understand that it could be misconstrued,” he said.

“Whatever I would do, I would have to do through the appropriate procedures and that was my intent always.”

When asked was it inappropriate, he responded by saying that Mr Phelan was a key member of his staff: “I don’t think it’s uncommon to explore ways to see if you could retain staff. We know that there are issues and opportunities attracting them onto new careers.”

The reasons behind Mr Phelan’s resignation have not been disclosed publicly. A political appointee, he was a close adviser of Mr Callely’s at his Clontarf base and substituted for him at constituency meetings.

Labour’s transport spokesperson Róisín Shortall yesterday called on the Taoiseach to act on Mr Callely’s “bizarre conduct”.

“It has not gone beyond a laughing matter and action is required by the Taoiseach to clarify some of the questions,” she said.

She pointed in particular to the offer of a car. Last night, a party spokesperson said Mr Callely’s RTÉ interview had not satisfactorily answered the key questions.