Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin has welcomed the news that the Taoiseach will not vote for John McNulty in the upcoming Seanad by-election, but has disputed the claim that the appointment was made solely by Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys.
Speaking in Roscommon this afternoon Deputy Micheal Martin said: “I welcome the confirmation from the Taoiseach that he is not voting for Mr McNulty in the forthcoming Seanad bye-election. I find it surprising though that he has reiterated his initial position that Mr McNulty's nomination to the Board of IMMA was made by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys in her own right as Minister. This clearly is not what happened," Martin said.
Martin called on the Taoiseach to make a “full and frank” statement on the issue, and said Kenny “is being allowed to make it up as he goes along” by avoiding making such a declaration.
“Last week he told us it was an unnamed Fine Gael headquarters official that passed Mr McNulty's CV to Minister Humphreys and then she appointed him to the IMMA Board,” Martin said.
“The Taoiseach is again trying to bring Minister Humphreys back into the fray while at the same time instructing her not to say anything at all,” he added.
“It is not tenable or sustainable for the Taoiseach to maintain the position that Minister Humphreys was acting in her own right as a Minister when making this appointment and at the same time gagging the Minister from taking questions on the matter.
“The longer this spectacle goes on the more it will damage the Taoiseach’s credibility and that of his government.”
Meanwhile, a second Fine Gael member of the cabinet has said he did not vote for John McNulty in the Seanad by-election.
Minister for Transport Paschal Donohoe says he respected Mr McNulty's own call, for TDs and Senators not to vote for him.
Earlier Enda Kenny said anyone who hadn't already cast their vote should follow Mr McNulty's wish and not vote for him.
Minister Donohoe says he voted last week - and that he paid close attention what John McNulty had to say: “I took very seriously the point that made regarding him withdrawing from the race. Despite the fact that it was impossible to take his name off the ballot paper,” Donohoe said.
“I did vote myself, I voted on Friday. I still believe in the privacy of what happens in the ballot box, but I did listen to what Mr. McNulty had to say,” Donohoe added.
Minister Donohoe said it is up to John McNulty himself to decide whether he should accept the seat if he wins it:
“That’s very much a matter for Mr. McNulty himself. He already made clear I believe, at an earlier point in this controversy, that he was not going to put his name forward.
“That was communicated by the Taoiseach also in relation to this matter,” Minister Donohoe said.
