TÁNAISTE MARY Coughlan has denied that the decision to publish the sixth report of the Morris tribunal on the day the new Government was formed was designed to overshadow the damaging report.
During her first extended interview since her promotion, she was asked by RTÉ journalist Sean O’Rourke about the accusation that the timing was “old-fashioned stroke politics”.
“I don’t agree whatsoever. There was a very short timeframe in which the report could be published,” she said. “It’s always important that people have an opportunity to go through it thoroughly. The last legal day it could be published was [Wednesday],” she said.
Ms Coughlan, who is the TD for the constituency in which Raphoe is located, did agree that there were many lessons to be learned but that the Government and gardaí would take the recommendations of the inquiry into account in legislative and other proposals.
The Tánaiste said that maintaining competitiveness is one of the biggest challenges she faces as Minister for Enterprise and Employment.
Asked if many aspects of the National Development Plan would have to be curtailed because of much lower growth levels in the economy, she replied: “The NDP has always been put together on the view of adequate resources being put together. The fundamentals are good, there’s no two ways about it. There will have to be prudent management and we have to see where our priorities are.”
Turning to the Cabinet choices made by Mr Cowen, she said that anybody who knew the Taoiseach knew that he expected hard work.
“He knows that the people he has appointed have the capacity to do the job. It’s a team that’s working together,” she said.
Ms Coughlan also rejected Opposition criticism of the health services, much of it directed at Health Minister Mary Harney. She said the Government was determined to effect its reform programme.
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