Kenny plays down O'Brien photo

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said he had no control over the invitation list for an event at the New York Stock Exchange in which he and businessman Denis O’Brien appeared in the same photograph.

The publication of the photograph, taken during the Taoiseach's visit to the US in March, drew internal criticism within Fine Gael from Minister of State Lucinda Creighton and also from Labour Party Ministers Brendan Howlin and Joan Burton.

The Moriarty Tribunal, in its final report, found that Mr O'Brien whose company was the successful bidder for the second mobile phone licence had made payments of some £447,000 sterling to then minister for communications Mr Lowry.

The findings were completely rejected by the telecoms entrepreneur.

Speaking at the National Convention Centre in Dublin ahead of his keynote speech tonight to the Fine Gael Ard Fheis tonight, Mr Kenny dismissed suggestions that the photograph had been inappropriate.

However, he would not say if Mr O'Brien would be invited to the next Global Economic Forum, saying the list had yet to be finalised.

Mr O'Brien was a guest at the last forum in Dublin Castle. Ms Creighton has said he should not be invited to the next one.

Mr Kenny said he had been invited by the chief executive of the New York stock exchange to ring the bell on the floor. He said he was also invited to speak to over 300 business people at an 'invest in Ireland' function.

"I had no idea of who was going to be there. I pressed the bell. Obviously Mr O'Brien was on that platform," he said. "I am not in a position as Taoiseach to vet the lists of attendees of any particular function that I intend.

"If you follow that logic down that line, is Croke Park going to evacuate itself on All Ireland day if Mr Ahern turns up? Am I to attend at the Connaught Final if former minister Flynn turns up?

"This is patent nonsense and I have no intention of vetting lists where people attend and I accept invitations to attend as Taoiseach."

When it was put to Mr Kenny he was in a position to vet the attendance of the economic forum, he said: "The list for next year's economic forum has not even been considered yet." He said that all those who had been invited to the first forum in Farmleigh also received an invitation to last autumn's forum in Dublin Castle.