O'Keeffe's 'misjudgement' led to downfall - Quinn

Ned O'Keeffe's resignation is the "inevitable outcome of his own misjudgement" in voting on a motion without declaring he had a beneficial interest in the subject matter, according to Labour.

Party leader Ruairi Quinn criticised the drawn-out nature of the affair, saying that it had undermined confidence in the food industry.

"If Ned O'Keefe had been a minister in any other modern democracy, he would have resigned or would have been dismissed within hours of the original disclosures," he said.

The refusal of the Taoiseach to deal with the issue was a failure on his part to show courage and political leadership, he added.