Cowen calls Zappone appointment a ‘failure of leadership’ during confidence motion

Laois/Offaly Fianna Fáil TD Barry Cowen has called the appointment and subsequent withdrawal of Katherine Zappone as an envoy an “unseemly controversy” which “represented a failure of leadership and collective responsibility at the heart of the coalition.”

Speaking during a government motion of confidence in Minister Simon Coveney, which was tabled in response to a Sinn Féin motion of no confidence, and which the minister survived by 92 votes to 59, Cowen also said he recently told the Taoiseach Micheál Martin that “it would be presumptuous for anyone to believe or presume they have majority support.”

“What has made the whole business such a sorry tale is that there was absolutely no public appetite, no demand, for any such envoy to be appointed,” he said. “It was easy then for the public to conclude or to perceive that this was a set of insiders looking after one of their own.

“The people expect, wish and deserve to see good governance, not sideshows or ineptitude.

“The Minister, Deputy Coveney, has apologised and so too has the Tánaiste. Let us be fair, there is not unanimous absolute or wholesome confidence in the Minister, especially, unfortunately, in the way he handled this issue within Fianna Fáil, but I expect that the whole sorry episode may well represent the last chance moment for all concerned.”

Cowen also noted how he represented Fianna Fáil in “negotiating, agreeing and selling” the current programme for government, and said that it has “much potential” to address the country’s housing issue.

“Not to vote with the Government today would seriously curtail our ability to best serve our constituents,” he said.

“My membership of the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party and my commitment to modernise its aims and goals from within are an example that will not be compromised or undermined by the obvious yet understandable political gamesmanship we see here this evening from Sinn Féin.

“For that reason I will be voting support for the said Minister and for this Government to hurry up and implement those very agreements we sought and got among ourselves when putting forward a programme for Government that has the ability to deliver according to the people's wishes at the last election.”

Also in the Laois/Offaly constituency, Fianna Fáil TD Seán Fleming, and Fine Gael TDs Charles Flanagan and Peter Burke voted in confidence of Minister Coveney.

Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley and Independent TD Carol Nolan both voted for no confidence in the minister.

Former children’s minister Katherine Zappone was to be appointed to a new role as a Special Envoy to the UN for freedom of opinion and expression.

However, Zappone withdrew from the appointment after it emerged the Taoiseach had not been made aware of the nomination before it was brought to Cabinet on 28 July.

Minister Coveney apologised for the manner in which the appointment process took place and spoke before the Oireachtas Foreign affairs Committee after it came to light that he had deleted text messages relating to Zappone’s appointment.