Taoiseach defends under fire Naughten
Communications Minister Denis Naughten has been accused of “contaminating” the tendering process for the State’s multimillion-euro national broadband contract.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar had to defend the minister in the Dáil, claiming a meeting Mr Naughten had in July with David McCourt, head of the sole remaining consortium bidding for the Government’s rural broadband scheme, was “administrative”.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said the Taoiseach’s explanation of Mr Naughten’s attendance at a lunch in New York hosted by Mr McCourt was “not credible”.
“People externally looking into this country, they might be tempted to say now that the key to getting a lucrative contract in Ireland is facetime with the minister. We have had tribunals about this type of thing in the past. It is extraordinary, Taoiseach, that this has occurred. In my view the minister has contaminated the process,” he said.
Mr Varadkar said Mr McCourt has been a “significant investor in the country for 10 years, employing hundreds of people”. He said: “The procurement team has confirmed that in no way has the procurement process been compromised.”
Mr Martin said “four key items” raised by the Department of Communication for clarification had been discussed during the meal, including the need for changes in the makeup of the consortium to be avoided or kept to a minimum.
“Ministers should be insulated from such lobbying and such canvassing, and if you, as leader, don’t understand that, as Taoiseach, then we have a problem,” said Mr Martin.
Mr Naughten released the minutes of the dinner meeting. They show a 10-minute discussion on the National Broadband Plan took place but that Mr McCourt did not address the plan with the minister but rather a department official.
Mr Martin said this was not credible. “Erecting Chinese walls saying I am at the lunch, there is an official at the lunch, around the same table, but the minister now becomes deaf and hears nothing. That’s not credible, Taoiseach.”
Mr Varadkar accused Mr Martin of having a “history of making allegations against ministers and claiming that things are incredible”.
Earlier, Mr Naughten confirmed that he booked Mr McCourt and his family into the Dáil members’ restaurant to have a birthday celebration in April, but did not attend the meal.
Fianna Fáil communications spokesman Timmy Dooley said there had been a “dizzying number of revelations” around the broadband plan in recent weeks, which he said could only be described as “farcical”.
“From the significant change in the character and make-up of the bidding consortium and the minister’s knowledge and involvement in this to his general meetings in New York with Mr David McCourt, then the sale of Enet on Monday and legal action against the remaining bidder, Granahan McCourt, for alleged misuse of privileged information, we are yet again in a position where the national broadband plan is mired in controversy,” he said.
