The Dáil's internal watchdog has found that the Fine Gael TD, Mr Michael Ring, abused his parliamentary privilege when he claimed that Fianna Fáil "landed" a big job for its former press secretary because he could not do his work and was no good for the party.
In a report lodged in the Dáil library yesterday, the Committee on Procedure and Privileges said Mr Ring made defamatory references last January to Mr Tom Reddy, who is media adviser to the Minister for Agriculture, Ms Coughlan.
Mr Ring declined to comment on the committee's report last evening but maintained that he said "nothing at all" and had taken legal advice on the matter.
But Mr Reddy said in a statement to the Ceann Comhairle, Dr Rory O'Hanlon, that he was deeply hurt and shocked at the "offensive" remarks by Mr Ring, who was a member of the Fine Gael front bench at the time and its social affairs spokesman.
While Mr Ring did not name him, Mr Reddy said he was clearly identified in remarks which were made when he was working for Ms Coughlan when she was minister for social and family affairs.
Mr Ring made his remarks during a Dáil debate on a Bill that removed the prohibition on special advisers to ministers joining the permanent Civil Service whenever a government left office.
On January 21st Mr Ring said in the Dáil that there was a person in the Department of Social and Family Affairs "on a big salary" who used to be a Fianna Fáil press secretary.
"I suppose he was no good for Fianna Fáil and could not do the job, so they got rid of him.
"They landed him into a big job in the Department of Social and Family Affairs, where the taxpayer is paying for him," he said.
"When the Bill is passed one will probably find him in the Civil Service next. He will be there for life and, when we come into government in a few months that is the kind of situation we will inherit."
Mr Reddy made a complaint to Dr O'Hanlon that day, saying that the remarks were totally incorrect.
Mr Ring was informed of the complaint in February and said in response that the comments did not amount to an abuse of privilege because he did not identify Mr Reddy by name.
Mr Ring was invited to put his case before the committee on May 19th, but failed to respond to the invitation.
The committee's report said the Fine Gael chief whip, Mr Bernard Durkan, informed the committee that Mr Ring had withdrawn his statement and undertook to forward the text of his retraction to the committee. However, no text was ever produced.
"The committee has decided that the utterances were in the nature of being defamatory and that prima facie an abuse of privilege has occurred," the report said.
After noting that Mr Reddy's primary concern was that he was unable to respond to Mr Ring's remarks, the committee said that he should be given a right of reply.
Any perceived imabalance would be redressed by laying Mr Reddy's statement and correspondence from Mr Ring before the Dáil.
The committee said no further action would be required and it believed the matter was now closed..