Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

No one here can take the moral high ground in Irish politics, including me. In my time in the Dáil I have fought against Minister after Minister for fairness in politics, which is greatly lacking. Ministers are so often involved in nod-and-wink style politics and looking after their own back yard and not the country, like they should. I have always supported the Minister, Deputy Coveney, in so many ways as he is a leader with top qualities but that has been completely overshadowed in this case as I read the texts Zappone was sending and her expectation that a few texts the right way would get a job that she wanted for her agenda. Whether this was an Irish agenda is to be seriously questioned. The missing texts worry me. How deep was the Tánaiste's involvement? How deep was the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe's, involvement?

Ms Zappone's involvement in Irish politics leaves so many questions, from the first day the Labour Party nodded and winked to Fine Gael to appoint her as a Senator. Then Enda Kenny, nodding and winking, appointed her to a senior Ministry. Now this carry-on stinks to the high heavens and asks many questions we have little or no answers to, with the strong probability that more leaks are yet to come out. It leaves me with a clear choice in this matter.

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