Leo Vardakar was under pressure last night to explain his presence at a private party organised by Katherine Zappone, the former children’s minister, before she was nominated as a United Nations envoy.
The function at the Merrion hotel in Dublin took place on Wednesday, July 21, six days before Zappone was nominated. It was attended by 50 friends and former colleagues of the former minister, who were seated at separate tables in groups of six. Varadkar was among those known to have attended the event.
Sinn Fein last night called for the names of all people who attended to be published. The party questioned the tanaiste’s decision to attend an unnecessary function on the grounds that thousands of people had foregone weddings and other important family celebrations.
Zappone announced yesterday that she would not accept the UN position after details of the function were published in the Irish Independent, leading to further questions about the process to appoint her. Simon Coveny, the foreign affairs minister, said he accepted that “mistakes were made” and “lessons will be learnt from that”.
Gardai last night said they had not received any formal complaints about the event, but believed it did not appear to breach any laws, though officers questioned the decision to organise and attend it.
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The government separately issued a statement to say it had been advised by the attorney-general that regulations provide for organised outdoor events and gatherings up to 200 people, including social, recreational, exercise, cultural, entertainment or community events.
Matt Carthy, a Sinn Fein TD, likened the event to Golfgate, the gathering where politicians gathered with businessmen and other influential people at the Clifden hotel in Galway in August last year. Phil Hogan, a European commissioner, and Daragh Calleary, the agriculture minister, had to resign for attending the event.
“A standard was set following the events in Clifden,” Carthy said. “As I said, there are striking similarities in terms of the rationale and excuses that are now being put forward and that people ask the hotel for their interpretation of the public health advice.
“I don’t know what the legal basis of this event was. To me, it appears to be questionable, but the relevant authorities will make a judgment on that.”
Carthy said the tanaiste had shown “poor judgment” and called on him to clarify his attendance. “At the end of the day, the taoiseach will ultimately need to make a call as to whether he will expect the same standards to be met this year, as he did of previous ministers and indeed European commissioners 12 months ago,” added Carthy.
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Paul Murphy, the People Before Profit TD, also compared the event to Golfgate. “It’s a sort of Golfgate situation again, one year on from the last one, whereby some in society, those at the top of the political establishment, seem to think that the rules don’t really apply to them, they only apply to the little people,” he said.
Peadar Tóibín, the Aontu leader, also said a precedent had been set by the Golfgate controversy. “This is a jaw-dropping mix of hypocrisy and cronyism,” he said. “This is the behaviour of a ruling elite that are telling citizens, ‘Do as I say and not as I do.’ ”
