Cabinet rallies to defence of Harney

CABINET colleagues came to the defence of Health Minister Mary Harney yesterday after she became embroiled in the Fás expenses controversy.

On Wednesday night, Ms Harney confirmed that she was responsible for some, but not all, of a $410 bill incurred at a beauty salon in West Cocoa Beach, Florida, and charged to a Fás credit card.

Ms Harney said her portion of the bill arose from standard wash and blow dries in preparation for official engagements. But Fine Gael claimed her position had become untenable both because of her role in the expenses controversy and her handling of the health portfolio.

Fellow ministers defended Ms Harney, however, saying there was “no question” of her resignation.

Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe said: “In terms of Mary Harney, she has my full confidence; she has the full confidence of Government. I think it’s not unusual when people are on foreign trips for somebody to arrange for them, if they are involved in what would be a very important engagement, that they would obviously go to a hairdresser and that would be normal practice.

“And I’m sure, if we were to look into the records of the Fine Gael party when they were in government, that some of their people would have been involved in exactly the same thing.”

Social Affairs Minister Mary Hanafin admitted Ms Harney was “embarrassed” by the controversy, and also acknowledged that wider questions remained about both the overall bill and lavish expenses regime at Fás.

Ms Hanafin said she did not believe it would have personal consequences for her cabinet colleague.

“It’s unfortunate the small amount of money that was probably paid for a hair-do has been caught up in a bigger bill, and there are questions obviously about that bigger bill and how it came about,” said Ms Hanafin.

“It shouldn’t take from the serious issue that is the amount of expenses that were being run up by Fás.”

Meanwhile, in the Dáil, Finance Minister Brian Lenihan avoided questions about both the $410 bill and the severance package that will be received by former Fás boss Rody Molloy, who resigned because of the controversy.

Fine Gael argued the severance deal should be made conditional on Mr Molloy co-operating with an inquiry into Fás being conducted by the public accounts committee. Fine Gael also sought a Dáil statement from Ms Harney on the controversy.

Mr Lenihan said the public accounts committee should be allowed continue its inquiry into the matter. “The reason the Government has not made time available to discuss issues relating to Fás is that we respect the procedures of this House and of the committee of public accounts, which is our chosen instrument for the investigation of these matters and which is investigating them.”