Taoiseach denies ‘sinister’ leak of engagement ring letter

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin today described as "sinister'' the leaking of a letter to the Taoiseach about a diamond engagement ring, which a Fine Gael backbencher considered purchasing for his girlfriend.

“There are details on the front of a newspaper but where did they come from?,’’ he told the Dáil. “How did that get into the public domain ?’’

Enda Kenny said he rejected completely any assertion of the deliberate leaking of any information from his department.

Mr Martin was referring to a controversy, which is being referred to as "ring-gate'' and "wedding-gate'' in the Dáil corridors and offices.

Cavan-Monaghan TD Sean Conlan had intended buying the ring for his girlfriend and parliamentary assistant Sarah Comiskey after seeing it an antiques fair in the UK, but then decided against it after contacting an antiques dealer in Dublin.

The UK-based antiques dealer Freya Hart wrote to Mr Kenny when she could not get in touch with Mr Conlan.

The email had been sent to Mr Kenny and the other Minister by Ms Hart. It concerned alleged difficulties over payment in relation to a ring worth €10,000 that Mr Conlan and Ms Comiskey had viewed at her stall during the summer.

Mr Conlan said he had brought the ring back to Dublin for appraisal, that there had been a “breakdown in communications for a number of hours” with Ms Hart, but the ring had been returned the following week and the matter had been resolved to everybody’s satisfaction

Mr Conlan said the leaking of the letter was an attempt to create the impression he had done something wrong because he had been outspoken on a number of issues.

When Mr Martin, who said it was a serious matter, raised the issue on the Order of Business in the Dáil, he was ruled out of order of Ceann Comhairle Sean Barrett.

"It may be a serious matter, but it is not appropriate to the Order of Business,'' said Mr Barrett.

Mr Martin said there should be an inquiry as people wanted to be able to write to the Taoiseach’s office with some degree of certainty that the issues would be confidential.

“I did not know Deputy Martin had become a private investigator,’’ said Mr Kenny.