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

We have heard the list, but it does not seem to include any substantive bilateral meeting with European colleagues.

I have been asking the Taoiseach about this next matter for three weeks but he has consistently dodged the question. Why did he decide to change the entire ministerial team dealing with the EU and Brexit? The previous Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minister of State had built up many bilateral contacts in the context of Brexit. What was the logic behind the decision to forgo all of those bilateral relationships and start again? Will the Taoiseach confirm whether the reports that he fired the former Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs, Deputy Dara Murphy, simply because he did not support him during the leadership contest are wrong? The Deputy is on record as saying this. Surely the Taoiseach would not remove someone from such an important job for such a petty reason.

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