Zappone controversy 'really unfortunate period for me', admits Simon Coveney

In an interview with the 'Irish Examiner', Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney talked about the Zappone controversy, Russian diplomats, and a 'fight for the soul of Irish politics', writes Ciara Phelan

'I’m not going to respond in a knee-jerk way to what Russia has done this week,' said Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney after Russia imposed a travel ban on 52 Irish politicians. Picture: Damien Storan/PA Wire

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has said the controversy surrounding his involvement in the appointment of ex-minister Katherine Zappone to a UN special envoy role was an “unfortunate” and “frustrating” period for him.

In a wide-ranging interview with the Irish Examiner, Mr Coveney confirmed he will remain in the Cork South Central constituency following rumours he would make a move to Cork East.

He said he has “arguably” more energy in politics now than he ever had before, adding that for him, the next general election will be about “a fight for the soul of Irish politics”.

Acknowledging the Zappone fiasco was a difficult period in his career, he said it was for other people to decide whether his reputation has bounced back both within Fine Gael and to the electorate.

He said: “That was a really unfortunate period for me, it was a hugely frustrating period for me actually, because I think the essence of that whole thing, for me, became a huge political story and it didn’t need to.”

Simon Coveney and Katherine Zappone at the launch of the Homelessness Pillar of Rebuilding Ireland: An Action Plan for Housing & Homelessness in 2016. Picture: Gareth Chaney Collins

Speculation is mounting that Taoiseach Micheál Martin may want to take the foreign affairs brief in the upcoming Cabinet reshuffle on December 17.

Mr Coveney said he is happy in his current role, describing it as his “dream job”, and his focus is to get solutions to the Northern Ireland Protocol as well as delivering what he described as the “most ambitious reform and growth programme for the Defence Forces that we’ve seen since independence”.

He said: “I'm conscious of the fact that I simply don’t know what Micheál Martin’s mind is on this. 

I’ve had a brief discussion with Leo [Varadkar] about it, but let's wait and see what happens in December.

“There’ll obviously be intense discussion in the days in the build-up to that, but I don’t think we’re going to be talking about it publicly in the weeks in advance.”

Russia reaction

Russian ambassador to Ireland Yury Filatov.

Speaking to reporters at the Fine Gael ard fheis, the party's deputy leader indicated that Ireland would not expel Russian ambassador Yury Filatov despite repeated calls following Russia banning of 52 Irish politicians from entering their State.

There are around 25 people at the Russian embassy, and Mr Coveney said there has been ongoing consideration in relation to the appropriate level of diplomatic representation here in Dublin.

He indicated that there could be a further expulsion of diplomats, or of those who may be here but are not involved in diplomatic work.

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He said: “It could happen, but I’m not going to respond in a knee-jerk way to what Russia has done this week in terms of naming Irish politicians and putting them on a travel ban.

This is essentially a military superpower looking to impose its will, change international borders by force, and if necessary brutalising a population to do that.

"That has got to be called out, and Ireland is not and should not be neutral on something like that, and whether or not 52 people in Ireland have a travel ban — people have no intention of travelling to Russia anytime soon anyway — happens is a distraction that we shouldn't get drawn into.”

Taking on Sinn Féin

Mr Coveney also said there is a determination within Fine Gael to “expose the policies” of Sinn Féin who, he said, is promising something that is not deliverable and “will cause an awful lot of problems for Ireland in the future”.

He said he has as much energy, arguably even more than ever, because he sees “the dangers of populist politics” which may result in a change in Irish politics that he believes would be “very damaging to ordinary people and communities believing actually that the message coming from certain politicians that I don’t believe have real credibility and substance, if you actually look at the detail.”

So the next election, for me and Fine Gael, will be really about a fight for the soul of Irish politics, and I think the story we have to tell and the record we have in the build-up to that will be a very credible one.”

Mr Coveney said there are no questions on leadership within the party, and when asked if he would like to become party leader when Mr Varadkar moves on, he said it is not a focus of his right now.

He added: “I’ve seen Leo as Taoiseach through really tough times, I think a combination of his experience and intelligence as a leader will mean that the next two years will be a period of growth for Fine Gael.”