Revealed: Text messages show Zappone offered UN role last March
Former Children's Minister Katherine Zappone told the Department of Foreign Affairs that Tánaiste Leo Varadkar was "really excited" about her appointment as UN Special Envoy five days before the Taoiseach was informed about the role.
Former Children's Minister Katherine Zappone thanked Simon Coveney back as early as March for offering her a role to represent Ireland, text messages released today show.
The appointment of Ms Zappone as a UN special envoy — a position that was never publicly advertised — has dogged the government for weeks. Ms Zappone ultimately turned down the position amid the public backlash.
Ms Zappone contacted the Foreign Affairs minister repeatedly between March and May to enquire about her role as Special Envoy.
On Thursday, March 4, a text message from Ms Zappone to Mr Coveney shows her thanking him for the privilege of being able to serve Ireland again.
"Hi Simon. Thank you so so much for offering me this incredible opportunity. It will be such a privilege, and I will be so proud to serve Ireland again.
"I think the time is really ripe for a change too. Could you let me know time period appointment is for, and what are the next steps. And you know, I am working with UN FPA until mid or end of June.
"Thank you again so much Simon, especially when you have so much on your plate. I spoke with Pascal (sic) yesterday. Warmest Katherine," Ms Zappone texted.
Texts messages show that Ms Zappone sought clarity from Mr Coveney as to a start date.
In April, Ms Zappone texted Mr Coveney: "Simon, see you have a lot on your plate as always, have heard in the background but the department may be ready to discuss proposals with you for my work. Look forward to hearing from you. K."
Then on May 4, she texted again: "Hi Simon. Hope all as well. Any news Yes, question mark, you had mentioned June a start time. Thanks K".
Katherine Zappone said she would serve Simon Coveney and "our beloved country" to the best of her ability in text messages on the day Cabinet approved her appointment.
She said: "Thank you, Minister, I shall serve you and our beloved country, to the best of my ability, warmest, Katherine."
On the same day as the Merrion Hotel event, July 21, Ms Zappone texted Mr Coveney to say she had just met with the Secretary General of his department and agreed a two-year role, with a one-year review clause.
"Hey Simon re Special Envoy Niall and I had a productive meeting today. He's preparing a short concept note for you.
"We both agreed the two years would be a more realistic timeframe to achieve the objectives with a one year review report into you on the model. Thanks again for this privilege and opportunity, Katherine," she texted.
In an email, released by the Department of Foreign Affairs, between Ms Zappone and the Department's secretary-general Niall Burgess, Ms Zappone confirmed she had sent a text to Mr Coveney about the timeframe of her new role and the details of the job.
References to Finance Minister Paschal Donohue also emerged in the series of text messages published between Ms Zappone and Mr Coveney.Â
The former children’s minister referenced a conversation with Mr Donohoe in WhatsApp messages she exchanged with Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney about the role, in the documents released today.
Mr Donohoe has denied he was lobbied by Katherine Zappone for the role of UN envoy and has insisted this was part of a “general discussion” he had with Ms Zappone about her future, and that he was not lobbied for the role at any time.
In a statement he said: “The records contain a reference to me in messages between Minister Coveney and Katherine Zappone. I believe it is important to give context to those messages.
“At the end of last year, Katherine sought my advice regarding a future in the UN and other international organisations.
“I suggested she contact Minister Coveney for advice. At some point in the new year, I mentioned this potential contact to Minister Coveney.
“I had no further engagement with Minister Coveney on the matter.”
In the messages, Ms Zappone says she is aware that Mr Donohoe spoke to Mr Coveney about introducing her to Samantha Power, a former US Ambassador to the UN and current administrator of the United States Agency For International Development (USAID).
In a message to Mr Coveney on February 22, she wrote: “I know Paschal has spoken with you about my interest to get an intro to Sam Power. About possibility of working with her at USAID on women and girls/gender equality issues and LGBTQ issues.”
She adds: “All these issues very much in sync with our/Irish foreign policy too.”
Mr Donohoe has said he had no role whatsoever in Ms Zappone’s controversial appointment as UN special envoy on freedom of expression.
Appearing on Newstalk’s  he said: “What that refers to is the general discussion that I had with Katherine, that happened on a personal level.
“She was back in America, she was looking at whether she would have a future in international organisations and that was one of the things that she had mentioned to me.
“And as I said, I mentioned this to Simon Coveney.Â
They subsequently talked to each other.”
He denied she had lobbied him for the UN envoy role.
“She didn’t lobby me. She was having a very general discussion regarding what her future might bring. Never at any point did she lobby me about it” he said.
“I did not play, nor should I have played a role in the process that led to the offer of a role to her.”
Mr Donohoe said he spoke to Mr Coveney about the issue of Ms Zappone’s future “some time across January and February.”
He added: “I never spoke to Simon Coveney about it beyond that single discussion.
“I was, through ongoing discussions that I’ve had with Katherine, I knew she was having an engagement with Simon about a potential role.”
He said he had not followed up the conversation with Mr Coveney after that.
“There was a dialogue taking place across that period. I wasn’t involved in it” he said.
Published documents show the remit of the role was redrawn following a meeting between Mr Burgess and Ms Zappone.
The email is dated July 22, five days before the appointment was brought to Cabinet, leaving the Taoiseach "blindsided".
Ms Zappone writes: "Dear Niall, yes, I so enjoyed meeting you in person too. The revised note captures everything so well of our collective efforts. I saw the Tánsiste (sic) last eve, and he’s really excited about this too.
"It’s ready to go to the Minister, I think.
"I did text him re the timeframe, as discussed. I promise you, Niall, that I will do my best to ensure that this will be an important legacy piece of your time in leadership."
Ms Zappone told Mr Burgess in text messages that she and Mr Coveney had "agreed a way forward" the day after the news of her appointment broke.
She text Mr Burgess again on August 4 to say that "things had moved on" with Mr Burgess saying that he was free to talk.
Another text from Mr Burgess to Mr Coveney shows that the Minister was not told of Ms Zappone's proposed salary by Mr Burgess of around €15,000 a year until after Cabinet had approved her appointment.
Ms Zappone was to be paid €15,000 before tax for 50 to 60 days of work a year.
The documents also show that Ms Zappone’s former adviser Jerry O’Connor told the Department that she was “doing some work with DFA (Dept of Foreign Affairs) on LGBTI issues”.
Paul Sheahan from the Department responded to an email to say that: “To the best of my knowledge, the LGBT+ Staff Network has not engaged with Minister Zappone, certainly not during my time on the Committee.”Â
Ms Zappone also told the Department of Foreign Affairs that Tánaiste Leo Varadkar was "really excited" about her appointment as UN Special Envoy five days before the Taoiseach was informed about the role.
In a press statement today, Mr Coveney said all documents relating to the appointment process had now been released and, in his view, future appointments should be made by a public open competition.
“My Department has today brought forward the publication of all documentation on the appointment of a Special Envoy for Freedom of Opinion and Expression.Â
"The files show extensive consideration of the envoy position as well as a complete timeline ahead of tomorrow’s meeting of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence.
"I am sorry that this appointment has caused such controversy for the Government. I have apologised to the Taoiseach for the failings on my part in relation to this issue and I have no hesitation in doing so again.
"Finally, a review of envoy positions is ongoing in the Department, however, I agree with the Taoiseach’s call for all future appointments to be made by open public competition.”Â
Meanwhile, the documents released reveal how Amal Clooney, the celebrated human rights lawyer and wife of Hollywood actor George Clooney, was listed as a positive example of a special envoy.
The documents contain emails between officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs which stated that Mrs Clooney reportedly did not receive a fee for her work.
The documents show that officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs were asked to compile information about the use of special envoys in the days after the appointment in early August.
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