Fergus Finlay: Ireland deserves better from arrogant Government ministers

The recent mess surrounding the Merrion Hotel party and Katherine Zappone's appointment and subsequent pulling out of the role of "special envoy on freedom of opinion and expression” to the UN, shows that the first rule of politics has to be that if you don’t want to get caught doing it, don’t do it in the first place

Katherine Zappone never gave a single interview about the controversies over her appointment or her Merrion Hotel party. Picture: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie

I CONFESS to some conflicted feelings right at the start of this piece.

I wanted Katherine Zappone to succeed as the children’s minister and did my best to support her. I had huge regard and respect for her work in the marriage equality referendum. We were both heavily involved in the advisory group that assisted in that campaign, and I often sat beside her at meetings.