Taoiseach wants review of how envoys are appointed after Katherine Zappone saga 

Micheál Martin highlighted the need for transparency on the issue

Simon Coveney is going before the Oireachtas committee tomorrow to answer questions on the Katherine Zappone controversy. File photo: Julien Behal

The Taoiseach wants a full review on the role and the appointment of envoys in the wake of the Katherine Zappone controversy.

Micheál Martin said the government must and will learn lessons from the affair, including ensuring that any future such appointments are done through a public competition process.

Speaking in Cork this lunchtime ahead of the expected released this afternoon by the Department of Foreign Affairs of documentation relating to the planned appointment of Ms Zappone, Mr Martin said he expects that will help clear up the matter.

“The documentation will be put out there this afternoon, it’s my understanding, by the Department of foreign affairs," he said.

“I think that’s important.

I think it’s important that we have transparency in relation to this issue and I also think it’s important that we in government learn lessons from this also.

“I think there needs to be a full review of the role of envoys, into the future, the added value they may or may not bring to certain situations.

“I think the Department of Foreign Affairs should conduct a full review in relation to that and that if there are to be any other further appointments into the future that they would be done by open public competition.

“These are lessons we have to learn from this particular episode. I think the transparency will flow hopefully from what’s published today.

“The minister himself [Simon Coveney] is going before the Oireachtas committee tomorrow to answer questions in a comprehensive way.

He reiterated his call to keep the matter in perspective and said he was concentrating on the "substantive issues" facing the country.

"Getting through Covid-19 is the key challenge, lifting restrictions on an ongoing basis is something that I am very focused on, whilst watching the behaviour of the disease the incidence levels of the disease," he said.

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“This is a very important month for us in respect of Covid-19, the schools have reopened how will the Delta variant fare in that context?

“So that’s my big focus, notwithstanding the need for transparency on these issues.

"I think we need to provide that, we need to learn lessons from it and take on board but others may have to say as well.” 

When asked if the release of the documentation and Minister’s Coveney’s appearance at Oireachtas committee will be enough to end the controversy, he said he can’t speak for the Opposition.

“But I can give my view on it in terms of a government perspective and we are going to learn lessons from this and we are going to make certain changes in relation to how we do this into the future,” he said.

“But I do believe that we need a sense of perspective in relation to this.”