Higgins and Stokes called on to resign

THE opposition parties are calling for the resignations of the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, Mr Higgins, and Mr Niall Stokes, chairman of the Irish Radio and Television Commission, in the latest fund raising row involving the Labour Party.

The Fianna Fail spokeswoman, Ms Sile de Valera, and the Progressive Democrats spokesman, Mr Michael McDowell, are seeking the resignations because of what they consider a conflict of interest between Mr Stokes's roles as IRTC chairman and as a committee member of a new group formed to raise funds for Mr Higgins, who is the Minister responsible for broadcasting.

The Tanaiste's spokesman refused to comment on the row yesterday.

The latest row erupted when Mr Stokes, who was appointed chairman of the IRTC by the Minister, became a member of a committee recently established to support the Galway Labour Party and its TD, Mr Higgins. The Minister's programme manager, Mr Kevin O'Driscoll, and the public relations officer of the Abbey Theatre, Ms Dorothea Melvin, are also members of the group.

Their names appeared on a circular letter giving details of a "race night", the first in a series of fund raising events for 1996. in Dublin on March 12th.

Mr Higgins confirmed last night that the letter, sent to a small number of Dublin Labour supporters, was withdrawn last month "because of a conflict with other Labour Party fund raising efforts planned by Dublin based units of the party".

The Minister also indicated that it was "absolutely absurd" for the opposition parties to be seeking resignations. There was not a single shred of impropriety in anything associated with Mr Stokes's actions "or with mine".

Mr Stokes was doing an excellent job as chairman of the IRTC, Mr Higgins said. The Commission was totally independent of the Minister and carried out its statutory functions "without reference to me".

In RTE interviews yesterday, Mr Stokes and Mr O'Driscoll indicated that they had no intention of resigning. Mr Stokes said that the issue of a conflict of interest "cannot and does not arise".

Accusing the Labour Party of practising double standards, Ms de Valera asked how the public could believe that Mr Stokes was acting independently while being politically involved with the Minister. The system had to be fair and it had to be seen to be fair.

Mr McDowell said the IRTC was required to determine on a quasi judicial basis who should be awarded licences to broadcast TV and radio programmes. It was also entitled to revoke licences and to ensure compliance with licences.

He would be proposing to the PD parliamentary party that they should introduce a private member's Bill to remove Mr Stokes from office, thereby forcing a vote on the matter in the Dail, he said.