Rabbitte: Ministers of the day had no role in choosing winning licence

PAT RABBITTE has defended the cabinet that signed off on the state’s second mobile phone licence, saying ministers could not have second guessed the project team’s decision on the winning bid.

Distancing himself and ministerial colleagues from the decision to give the licence to Esat Digifone in 1995, the current Communications Minister said the then cabinet was not involved in choosing the winner.

The minister stressed that once the civil servant project team chose to award the licence to Denis O’Brien’s group, the decision was final.