Simon Harris defends Pat Breen in tender controversy

The Health Minister has strongly defended junior minister Pat Breen over his role in the broadband tender controversy which led to the resignation of Denis Naughten.

The Clare TD confirmed that he organised a meeting between former communications minister Mr Naughten and millionaire businessman David McCourt who is involved in the sole remaining consortium bidding for the State’s broadband contract.

In the wake of the resignation, Mr Breen released a statement detailing a number of meetings he held with Mr McCourt including a dinner that he arranged at the request of the businessman.

“Mr McCourt’s home is about 10 miles from my home in Co Clare. I have gotten to know Mr McCourt on a personal basis, have visited his Co Clare home several times and met him on other occasions in a private capacity.

“Last year, on the request of Mr McCourt, I asked Denis Naughten, then Minister for Communications, if he would like to come to a dinner in Mr McCourt’s house. Mr McCourt’s wife also attended the dinner. To my knowledge, the National Broadband Plan was not discussed at the dinner,” said Mr Breen.

But Health Minister Simon Harris yesterday said the onus was on Mr Naughten to decide whether it was appropriate to attend the dinner with Mr McCourt.

“Pat Breen has no involvement whatsoever in the national broadband plan or the rollout of it or procurement, nor does he sit at the Cabinet table where we would approve a memo in due course.

“My understanding is that Minister Breen asked a colleague to attend a dinner for a neighbour. It is up to us as ministers when we get any invitations to do due diligence and decide if it is appropriate for me with my responsibility to attend this dinner.

“Denis Naughten made the decision that it was, and I think that’s regrettable,” he said.

Mr Harris added: “The responsibility when you are a minister is on you to decide is it appropriate for me to meet this person. Is it appropriate for me to attend this event? Is it appropriate for me to attend this dinner? The reality is Denis Naughten made a decision.”

However, members of the Opposition maintain that Mr Breen still has questions to answer, and yesterday a Fine Gael election candidate tweeted that he should stand down. However, Cork North Central candidate Julie O’Leary quickly deleted her tweet.

Tánaiste Simon Coveney said that in stepping down, Mr Naughten had come to “the only conclusion that was viable” after he revealed to the Taoiseach that he had met Mr McCourt on six occasions.

He added that the Taoiseach had also “made the right judgement” on the issue.