Cowen defends O'Dea as Fine Gael's Flanagan ordered from chamber

THE TAOISEACH defended the Minister for Defence amid heated Dáil exchanges which saw a Fine Gael TD ordered from the chamber.

Speaking before Willie O’Dea’s personal statement to the House, Brian Cowen said that he believed in standards. He added that the Cabinet code of conduct referred to the performance of ministerial duties. “I obviously also accept that in relation to any private capacity, what I expect Ministers to do is to ensure that where an error occurs, that it is rectified, that it is apologised for, that it is accepted by the party concerned, and that there is an acceptance by the party concerned . . . not in terms of how it is interpreted in this House . . . that Deputy O’Dea acted innocently.”

Mr Cowen said he was talking about a situation where a person admitted to an error, acted in good faith and obtained the agreement of the party concerned that he acted innocently in the matter.

He added that the party concerned had accepted that there was no intention to mislead on Mr O’Dea’s part.

“Those are the standards I expect a person to show when an error is made, when a mistake is made, and to go and admit to it and to solve the problem and deal with it to the satisfaction of the person who is aggrieved,” said the Taoiseach.

The Government rejected Opposition demands that Mr O’Dea answer questions following his personal statement.

Mr Cowen said that if there was a requirement, for political or other reasons to bring a motion to the House, that was a matter for members to consider.

Fine Gael’s spokesman on justice Charlie Flanagan described the proceedings as “a whitewash”, adding that he hoped the office of Ceann Comhairle Séamus Kirk was not “complicit” in the matter.

A furious Mr Kirk said that Mr Flanagan should withdraw the remark or leave the chamber. He said that Mr Flanagan had cast an aspersion on the chair.

After some further exchanges, Mr Flanagan left the chamber.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said that 11 ministers had resigned since 1964 for one reason or another.

“I find it truly astonishing that two months after an issue in respect of a Cabinet Minister became public knowledge, that the Taoiseach did nothing about this,” he added.

It was a serious matter, which was as much about the Taoiseach and his standards, and what he oversaw in his Cabinet, as it was about anybody else.

Sinn Féin’s Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said it was a very serious matter.

“The situation is, in my view, one that Minister O’Dea should either take the appropriate action of standing down or the Taoiseach should take the action of standing him down,” he added.

Earlier, during Opposition leaders’ questions, Mr Kenny and Labour leader Eamon Gilmore asked Mr Cowen if he had been informed of Mr O’Dea’s court case by the Government’s communications unit which monitored media coverage. Mr Gilmore said it was “a value for money” question.

Mr Cowen said he did not recall being informed of the matter by the unit, “but I am satisfied the Minister is not in breach of any of those arrangements”.

Pressed further, Mr Cowen said the bottom line was that “when this matter was brought to my attention, I spoke to the Minister about it and I am satisfied that the personal explanation he will give later this evening will clear up the matter”.