Adviser to former TD suing local newspaper recounts conversation with Enda Kenny over pint
An adviser to a former TD suing for defamation has told the High Court he commented in 2014 to then-Taoiseach Enda Kenny over a pint in a pub that a voice in government would be beneficial for Waterford following a poor local election result for Fine Gael.
Paul Fox, who was an adviser to FG Sen Paudie Coffey, a former junior minister and TD, was giving evidence in the senator's defamation action against Iconic Newspapers over a January 2016 article in the Kilkenny People.
It carried comments from FG Kilkenny colleague John Paul Phelan TD describing a proposal to bring part of the Kilkenny administrative area in Waterford city as "daylight robbery".
Mr Phelan said there was a "bloodthirsty" 18th century highwayman in Waterford called "Crotty the Robber" and now "Coffey the Robber" was trying to do the same thing.
Sen Coffey says that was defamatory and the publisher denies this.
Mr Fox agreed with Rossa Fanning SC, for Iconic, that Sen Coffey had described in court as "outlandish" the suggestion that representations had been made in 2014 to then Taoiseach Enda Kenny about appointing him a junior minister.
Sen Coffey also said he knew nothing about such representations if they were made.
Mr Fox agreed with counsel that in light of FG's poor local election showing that if there was an FG minister in Waterford, it would boost both the minister and the constituency.
He could not say what "people were advocating to the powers that be" but agreed it would be good for Waterford and Sen Coffey if he was made a minister of state.
Asked by Mr Fanning did he ever say anything along these lines, he said he recalled a conversation with then Taoiseach Kenny, post local elections, in the Ginger Man pub in Dublin "over a pint".
He said he could not exactly recall what was said over four and a half years ago.
"I think I would have made the point yes, it was a bad election for FG in Waterford but I would have conveyed it was something beyond that, it was something more substantial", he said.
For example, he said, there was high unemployment in Waterford with very high rates in some housing estates.
"I might have made the point that if the constituency had a voice the constituency would stand to benefit".
Mr Fanning said there was nothing sinister about this and it was the normal course in politics.
Mr Fox said he did not think the Taoiseach would have taken to heart what was said to him in terms of a ministerial appointment. "You are underestimating your power", counsel said.
Mr Fox said he had not told Sen Coffey about that conversation with Mr Kenny. He did not think it would be of interest to him.
Earlier Mr Fox told the court the boundary review at the the centre of the dispute which led to the Kilkenny People article was an administrative boundary which would affect local elections but not general elections or county boundaries.
He agreed Sen Coffey had been getting negative press coverage elsewhere over his support for the boundary review before the Kilkenny People article.
The case on behalf on Sen Coffey has ended and Deputy Phelan is to be the first witness called on behalf of the defence when the trial continues.
