Minister defends car-buy pledge to stop advisor quitting

A Minister of State tonight defended his offer to buy a car for a key advisor if he stayed in his post.

Embattled Minister of State at the Transport Department, Ivor Callely, said the money to pay for the car to entice his top political aid not to quit his job would have come through proper channels.

“I think it is important to indicate that anything that would have been done, would have been done through appropriate channels,” he said.

The Dublin North Central TD said Niall Phelan, who was working as his personal political assistant at the Department of Transport, was a valuable member of staff who had in-depth knowledge of his team and constituency issues.

“We are facing a General Election in the course of the next 16 or 17 months and I envisaged a very important role for Niall to play in that number of months,” the TD said.

“So I don’t think it is uncommon to explore ways to retain staff.”

Mr Callely said he respected Mr Phelan’s position in calling the offer of a car as inappropriate.

The TD told RTÉ Radio: “One might look at it from a commercial point of view as commercial sensitivities.

“I would say to you in relation to a multi-seat constituency there are equally issues, where is your vote, where you are doing your work, the level of contact with your office, the names and addresses of people who have been in contact with you and that type of issue.”

On a number of staff leaving Mr Callely’s department in recent weeks, he said: “It is not uncommon, might I add, that people move on. I equally understand from the team that work with me here in this Department – that they are all happy with the manner in which I work they are certainly relaying that to me presently.”

Mr Callely said some people were working with him for a considerable length of time, including his personal secretary who began working with him when he was first elected to the Dáil in 1989.

“I have a great team and I think that is equally acknowledged in the constituency,” he said.