There needs to be a full review of the role of special envoys in the wake of the Katherine Zappone saga, according to the Taoiseach.
The Department of Foreign Affairs will today release a file of documents relating to the attempt to appoint Ms Zappone as a special envoy to the UN.
The documents are being released in an attempt to bring clarity to the process behind the appointment before Minister Simon Coveney answers questions in the Oireachtas tomorrow.
Speaking in Cork today, the Taoiseach Micheál Martin said any future appointments will be made by “open public competition.”
“That documentation will be put out there this afternoon is my understanding, by the Department of Foreign affairs,” he said. “I think that is important.”
“I think it is important that we have transparency in relation to this issue. I also think it is important that we in Government learn lessons from this also.
“I think there needs to be a full review of the role of envoys into the future and the added value they may or may not bring to certain situations.
“I think the Department of Foreign Affairs should conduct a full review into that and that if there are to be any further appointments into the future that they will be done by open public competition.
“I think these are lessons we have to learn from this particular episode.”
He said “transparency” regarding the attempted appointment will flow from the documents published today and the Oireachtas hearing.
Asked whether the saga has damaged the Government’s reputation, Mr Martin urged people to “keep this in perspective” and insisted he was focused on his role.
“In terms of the Government perspective on it we are going to learn lessons from it and as I have said make certain changes around how we do this into the future,” he said. “But I do believe we need a sense of perspective in relation to it.”
The special envoy role was not publicly advertised before it was offered to Ms Zappone who served as Minister for Children in the previous government.
She eventually relinquished the role in the face of public anger over the Merriongate event which forced the Government to clarify its own Covid guidelines on outdoor gatherings.
Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has said he deleted text messages with Ms Zappone about her appointment to the role due to security concerns.
He said he regularly clears his phone after previously being the victim of a hack.
He originally told the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee that he deleted the texts for storage reasons; however, his spokesperson later clarified that he regularly clears his phone after previously being hacked.
