Fianna Fáil TD blasts Katherine Zappone controversy as 'Fine Gael omnishambles'

Jim O'Callaghan did not call for Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney to step down but said the process was disrespectful to the Taoiseach, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party

Katherine Zappone should appear before the Oireachtas committee to answer questions on the issue, Jim O'Callaghan said.

A senior Fianna Fáil member has described the Katherine Zappone controversy as a "Fine Gael omnishambles" which amounted to cronyism and "is not a way to run Government".

Jim O'Callaghan has hit out at his Government colleagues claiming the UN special envoy role was simply about "certain Fine Gael Ministers looking after a friend or a former colleague because she wanted to develop a career in the UN".

He said senior Fine Gael ministers have engaged in "casual, inappropriate and disrespectful behaviour" and it would now be ​"very helpful" to hear Katherine Zappone's side of the story at an Oireachtas Committee.

Mr O'Callaghan also made his political intentions clear by admitting it would be a "great privilege" to take over from Micheál Martin.

"There's no vacancy at present. When it does arise, I'll consider that and it would be a great privilege to be the next leader of Fianna Fáil," he told RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne show.

Mr O'Callaghan stopped short of calling on Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney to step down.  Photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Turning back to the Zappone issue which has plagued the Government since late July, Mr O'Callaghan said the actions of some within Fine Gael showed a disrespect to the office of An Taoiseach, to Fianna Fáil and to the Green Party.

"This type of cavalier, casual method of doing business by Fine Gael has to stop because to quote Minister Varadkar: 'If they keep going on doing business like this, we won't be doing business for long'."

Mr O'Callaghan added: "It has been a Fine Gael omnishambles. I think we need to recognise responsibility for this rests with Fine Gael, and the people at senior levels in Fine Gael need to recognise that they can't operate in a silo, they have to keep their coalition colleagues informed of important developments, they can't blindside the Taoiseach."

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However, he stopped short of calling on Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney to step down, stating: "I don't believe sacking should be the first port of call."

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said he was satisfied with the account provided by Mr Coveney at an Oireachtas Committee meeting on Tuesday and doesn't believe there will be any further developments.