Helen McEntee confirms she did not attend Department of Foreign Affairs champagne party

The confirmation places additional pressure on Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney, who has yet to state whether he attended the event

The photograph of the soirée was a ‘selfie’ taken by Niall Burgess, who was the secretary-general of the department at the time but has since been appointed ambassador to France. Photo via Twitter

The Department of Foreign Affairs has apologised after a picture was published showing a celebration taking place in its offices in 2020.

The picture was posted on Twitter in June 2020 by then secretary-general of the department Niall Burgess after Ireland secured a seat on the UN Security Council. It was deleted shortly after.