‘Joker’ Smith denies threatening to cause trouble if ousted
Photographers heard Mr Smith making the remark when he was chatting to Communications Minister Dermot Ahern at the Fianna Fáil gathering held at Inchydoney in Co Cork.
"There has been so much media attention on the possibility that I would be dropped from Cabinet that I decided to make a joke out of it while they were taking our pictures but I did not think anyone was taking it seriously," Mr Smith said yesterday.
The Defence Minister said he would remain loyal to Fianna Fáil whether or not he remains as a minister follow the upcoming Cabinet re-shuffle.
"It is ultimately the Taoiseach who will decide the make-up of the next Cabinet and I will pose no challenge to him or cause any trouble if I am in the back benches," Mr Smith added yesterday.
He rejected claims that he was running an "unseemly" campaign to stay in Cabinet.
"I do not think it is undignified to want to stay in Cabinet but there is no dignity in being routed out by the media," Mr Smith said.
The minister said he had served under three Taoisigh Charles Haughey, Albert Reynolds and Bertie Ahern and never asked for any favours from any of them.
Asked to respond to claims that outgoing Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy had intervened in the last reshuffle to keep him in Cabinet, Mr Smith said: "I don't know anything about that everyone has friends and I do not know if anything was said in my favour."
Mr Smith made his comments at the commissioning of 13 naval officers in Co Cork where he also revealed plans for new Defence Bonds to finance future capital programmes.
However, these plans are all dependant on Mr Smith surviving the September 29 Cabinet reshuffle.
