Confidence in Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence: Motion
Dail Éireann — 2021-09-15
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Marian Harkin (IND), Sligo-Leitrim

I must be brief in the 90 seconds available to me. As an MEP, I said I was proud that Ireland was represented by the Minister, Deputy Coveney, on Brexit, the Northern Ireland protocol and ensuring there would be no hard border on the island of Ireland. I stand by those words. Nonetheless, tonight is a different context. Many mistakes were made and they all arose from the premise that a former Minister could lobby the two most senior Fine Gael Ministers, the Tánaiste and an ambassador for a job that at that point in time did not formally exist. This, it seems, is how business was conducted in the allocation of similar, existing posts up to that point. It was not transparent or accountable. However, the Taoiseach has said here this evening that a new transparent and accountable system has been put in place for such appointments. That, for me, is crucial.
Looking at the Minister, Deputy Coveney's, entire record as Minister for Foreign Affairs and the actions that have subsequently been taken by the Taoiseach, I will use a football analogy and say that the colour of the card for the Minister should be yellow, not red. Nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes. The important thing is that we learn from them. I hope that has happened.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2021-09-15/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:49:34+00:00
Sitting date: 2021-09-15