Fáilte Ireland board member did not disclose foreign holiday

Fáilte Ireland staff are "in shock" after board member Breege O'Donoghue's resignation. File picture: Dara Mac Donaill

Breege O'Donoghue did not disclose any foreign holidays to Fáilte Ireland in the wake of the chairman's resignation, despite being asked directly, the Irish Examiner can reveal.

Staff in Fáilte Ireland are "in shock" after the resignation of the second board member on Tuesday night after an Irish Examiner investigation revealed that the former Penneys chief executive had spent time at her holiday home in Marbella, Spain, for week-long periods in July and August. Spain is not on Ireland's green list for travel.

Following the shock resignation of chairman Michael Cawley after it emerged he travelled to Italy on holiday, all Fáilte Ireland board members had been asked to disclose any foreign holidays to the organisation.

It is understood Ms O'Donoghue did not, at any time, inform anyone at the organisation that she would be travelling to Spain.

"They were all asked and she didn't inform them. We weren't alerted at all," a senior staff member said. "Everyone is shocked, especially in light of what happened with the chairman too.

"Breege was a very effective board member and her credentials are good. It's just one of those things and she's gone now.

"Everyone's disappointed. Everyone in Fáilte Ireland has been working so hard, flat out working seven days a week on behalf of the industry.

"Traditionally, we have a brilliant reputation with the public and with everything that's happened the last month, the staff are devastated."

Ms O’Donoghue was pictured with the Tanaiste on July 29 for a campaign to support local retailers.

Asked if he was aware that she had been abroad prior to their meeting, Mr Varadkar said: "It's a fair question, but the answer is no. I meet a lot of people every day and I haven't yet got into the practice of asking them whether they've been abroad or whether they have quarantined."

Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) Chair Breege O’Donoghue, actor and author Amy Huberman, An Tánaiste and Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment, Leo Varadkar, TD and Rosemary Steen, CEO, DCCI, launching #MADELOCAL. File picture: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland

He added that he hopes we don't get to the stage where people feel the need to do that.

Tourism Minister Catherine Martin is set to convene the board for an official meeting in the near future, which will likely be held via teleconference due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The minister will now have to appoint two more board members through the Public Appointment Service.

At a meeting in August, the authority of Fáilte Ireland selected Paul Carty, the former managing director of the Guinness Storehouse, to serve as interim chair. He will hold the position until a successor is appointed.

It is understood it is not unusual for the board to be down "one or two" members but, in the current Covid-19 crisis, staff are keen to have the roles filled as quickly as possible due to the turmoil in the tourism industry.

"The meeting hasn't been set up yet, but I think it will be a long talk reminding the board members why they came to be on the board in the first place," a source said.

"Paul Kelly [CEO of Fáilte Ireland] is really trying to keep the board on track and I think the minister wants to have a reset.

"She wants to remind the board of their duties and responsibilities, stop with this waiting to catch people out. I think we'll hear some direction from the minister about how they're going to operate going forward, I'd imagine."