Eamon Ryan: Tánaiste's attendance at Zappone event 'undermined public confidence'

Eamon Ryan has also admitted that he "regrets" attending a separate party organised by Green Party candidate Claire Byrne

Leo Varadkar's attendance at a party hosted by former minister Katherine Zappone has "undermined public confidence," the Green Party leader has said.

Eamon Ryan has also admitted that he "regrets" attending a separate party organised by Green Party candidate Claire Byrne as a thank-you for those who helped her campaign in the recent Dublin Bay South by-election.

Defending his attendance at the social event which took place at Merrion cricket grounds, Mr Ryan said the party was "invitation only" and was within the guidelines for that type of venue.

However, he said: "Clearly in hindsight, in terms of maintaining public confidence, I would have preferred had we not attended those events, because anything that in any way undermines public confidence doesn't help.

"I regret very much that those events did lead to this controversy in the last week," he said of the two parties.

Mr Ryan said he wasn't aware that his joint chief of staff Donal Geoghegan was at the Merrion Hotel event hosted by Ms Zappone.

But he added: "I think this whole controversy has undermined public confidence.

"It is a real problem and it's a real regret that the guidelines in regard to those events weren't as clear as they should have been and it's appropriate that they have been updated, and will continue to be updated because what we now need to do is to continue to reopen the country."

He said with the level of vaccination it will be possible to reopen further and he hopes that the entertainment industry and other sectors can get back up and running soon.