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

Nobody is turning a blind eye to anything. That is why the Minister was before the House last night, answering questions and making a statement to clarify what happened. We are here talking about it, taking questions on it, as the Taoiseach was yesterday, and we are providing answers. Yes, I do have confidence in the Minister. I have known Deputy Naughten for 20 years. I know him as a straight Minister, just as he is a straight politician. He regrets the fact that this conversation took place, but in my view he did not do anything that constitutes giving inappropriate information to anybody. The communications between a lobbyist and INM after that are matters for them to explain. The question that I understand has been raised by the ODCE in respect of potential insider information refers to the information flow between one shareholder in INM and a lobby group or chairman of INM. It is not referring to a ministerial intervention.

We need to assess this intervention or conversation that involved the Minister, in the context of what was said, that the Minister intended to proceed on the basis of advice from the officials, as he had done in previous cases. He was asked for a view as to whether it was likely that it would be referred to the BAI and he answered, as I think anybody who was informed on the legislation in this area and would have seen the information that was publicly available at the time, was likely to have done.

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