Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In my opening remarks to the Taoiseach I did not ask about any other appointments. I only asked about Mr. McNulty's appointment to IMMA. It is the only question but the Taoiseach went down a diversionary route. This story is unravelling as it gets made up. One gets a terrible sense that people are trying to piece together and concoct a story that ends up blaming Fine Gael officials. Who mandated the Fine Gael officials to go to the Minister, Deputy Heather Humphreys, and say that Mr. McNulty wants to be appointed, and should be appointed, to a cultural body? Who mandated them to do that? Is the Taoiseach seriously suggesting that senior headquarter officials in Fine Gael went off, without his knowledge or endorsement, and said to the Minister "Appoint him"? Did any other names come from the Fine Gael officials, other than Mr. McNulty's, to be appointed? Look at the window we are talking about. We are talking about a few days between his nomination to contest the Seanad by-election on the Taoiseach's behalf and his nomination to IMMA.

There was no casual vacancy in IMMA because the Government had limited the number of board members to nine. With great haste, the Minister decided out of the blue-----

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