Harney denies misusing taxpayers’ money on FÁS trips

Health Minister Mary Harney has insisted that she has never misused taxpayers’ money in the course of Government business.

Ms Harney was reacting to reports that a pianist was hired to play in her hotel suite in Cape Town during a FÁ trip eight years ago, when she was the Minister for Enterprise.

Last week, it emerged that the state training agency paid for a hair treatment for the minister during a trip to Florida in the US.

However, speaking in Dublin this morning, she insisted she had never misused taxpayers' money, adding that there were far more important things for the Government to be dealing with at the moment.