Author refuses to name cocaine-using Minister

The author of a book in which a Government minister allegedly admits to using cocaine today refused to name the politician.

Journalist Justine Delaney Wilson, who penned The High Society: Drugs And The Irish Middle Class, claimed she met the minister in Buswells Hotel across the street from the Dáil in October 2006 after he contacted her.

The issue was raised in the Dáil today when Fine Gael TD Simon Coveney asked the Taoiseach if he was going to quiz his Cabinet colleagues about the mystery drug user.

Mr Ahern did not reply and Ceann Comhairle John O’Donoghue ruled Mr Coveney out of order.

Ms Delaney Wilson today refused to say whether the minister was still serving in Government or whether he was in the Cabinet or a junior office holder.

“I am protecting his identity because he spoke to me on condition that he was quoted anonymously,” she said.

In the book, in the chapter entitled Our Pillars, the minister allegedly says to Ms Wilson in Buswells Hotel: “Yes, I do take drugs – just coke though - regularly enough. I’m certainly not the only one around here (the Dail) that does.”

Dublin-based Ms Wilson said the politician has not contacted her since the book was published last Friday.

During her two-year research, Ms Wilson also spoke to other drug users such as a parish priest in the Midlands, a Dublin judge, a nun, a doctor, a nurse and an airline pilot.

She said: “There are lots of middle class drug users out there, these are just the people who would talk to me.

“I contacted some drug treatment centres but generally word filtered around that I was doing the book and people just contacted me one by one, including the minister.”

She added: “Drug use is just not a working class problem. When you are using in your sitting room, you’re not thinking about turf wars in Colombia or drug barons killing each other in some part of Dublin.

“We’re still in denial about the issue. It’s not just young fellas in tracksuits, it’s white collar workers in suits and flash cars.”

In the Dáil, Mr Coveney asked if the Taoiseach was going to question his Cabinet about the allegations that a Government minister admitted taking cocaine.

He said: “It’s the Taoiseach’s responsibility to take responsibility for his Government ministers.

“Has he called his ministers into a meeting and asked them if the allegations are true?”

The TD then referred to quotes from the book, published last week by Gill and Macmillan.

Mr Coveney again asked the Taoiseach if he had asked his Cabinet about these allegations but his question was ruled out of order by the Ceann Comhairle.

The book also shares the title of a two-part documentary series which will be screened next month.

It is the first book by Ms Wilson, who has worked for a number of independent TV production companies.