The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Mr O'Donoghue, has rejected criticism by an anti-alcohol campaigner of his attendance at the publication of a book celebrating Irish pubs.
Reacting to criticism by a former coroner, Dr Mick Loftus, a spokesman for Mr O'Donoghue said he had attended the event in his capacity as Minister for Tourism.
Dr Loftus had said that, because of his involvement in sport, the Minister should not be endorsing anything to do with pubs. Mr O'Donoghue launched this year's Irish Pubs of Distinction publication for the Vintners' Federation. His comments were followed by a statement by the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, on the Government's determination to tackle the problem of binge drinking. Dr Loftus had criticised a "big and serious contradiction" between the two Ministers.
Publishing Fine Gael's anti-alcohol policy, its leader, Mr Enda Kenny, said he had published an edition of the book when he was minister for tourism in the rainbow coalition.