Gilmore: Government should reflect on comments about Denis O’Brien

Another Labour minister has expressed unease about businessman Denis O’Brien being seen in the presence of cabinet members.

Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin said his view was that there should be “a consequence” for those against whom adverse findings were made by tribunals of inquiry.

He said there had been “adverse comments” about the attendance of Mr O’Brien at last year’s Global Irish Economic Forum, and the Government needed to reflect on that.

He was speaking in the Dáil in response to Sinn Féin questions on the issue.

His comments follow those of his Labour colleague, Social Protection Minister Joan Burton, who raised questions about the wisdom of Government members fraternising with people such as Mr O’Brien.

“It is perhaps time for the Government to reflect on how it should in future interact with people against whom adverse findings have been made by tribunals,” Ms Burton said on Wednesday.

Last year’s Moriarty report found that former Fine Gael communications minister Michael Lowry had “secured the winning” of the State’s second mobile phone licence for Mr O’Brien. The tribunal found he had provided payments and benefits worth hundreds of thousands of euro to Mr Lowry in return.

Earlier this month, he appeared on the balcony of the New York Stock Exchange with Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

Mr Howlin defended the Taoiseach, saying Mr Kenny had been invited to the stock exchange event.

He said the Cabinet had not discussed a list of people to be “shunned”, but that ministers would discuss such matters if future invitations were to be issued.

Sinn Féin TD Mary Lou McDonald said the Government seemed “ambivalent, confused or maybe even compromised” about its position on the issue.