Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I handed my phone over to An Garda Síochána, who took it from there and worked with the Department on that.

I will turn now to Deputy Cowen’s questions.

I can understand why the public looking at this political fiasco as it has unfolded would interpret it, in the way some of the members have, as being lobbying and so on. All I can say is I got this initial contact and I regarded that I was trying to develop something that could be an asset to the country in the context of the work we were doing around foreign policy, particularly through and around the UN. The Department developed that with my support and that of the Secretary General. Katherine Zappone was hugely enthusiastic about the opportunity and clearly was looking for regular updates in terms of whether it was going to materialise and where it was going. That is the way I saw it. I am not sure there has ever been an appointment that has had the level of scrutiny this particular appointment has had. I can certainly understand why other people would see it differently. I think the facts show the account I have given today is actually what happened. This is what I am trying to explain to the committee today.

Once again, I apologise for the fact this committee has had to sit a second time on this issue. To be perfectly honest, the committee should not have had to sit for even one sitting on this issue. I should have been able to clarify these issues a lot earlier and I did not do that. I regret that and I thank the committee members for their patience and their time.