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

First, I would like to thank everybody who has spoken in support of me this evening. Their support is much appreciated. Quite honestly, I never thought I would find myself in the middle of a debate like this one. Given the magnitude of the issues this House needs to deal with, including the removal of Covid restrictions, the pressures on healthcare delivery across the country, the launching of the most ambitious new housing plan in history, Ireland's chairing of the UN Security Council at a crucial time, and the ongoing pressures in Northern Ireland relating to the Brexit protocol, the legacy of the past, the threat to the very existence of the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement and the possible early collapse of the Executive and the assembly, it seems scarcely credible that a short-lived Government appointment of a part-time special envoy should be dominating our focus on the first day back after the summer break, but here we are.

I take my share of blame for this debate. For six weeks now, the appointment of Katherine Zappone and the issues related to it have been the focus of media and political commentary. In truth, I should have and could have dealt with this issue much more comprehensively in early August, after it became controversial following a Government decision.

I did not take the issue seriously enough then. I was too defensive in interviews. I allowed speculation to drift into a political narrative that does not reflect the truth of what actually happened. By the time a comprehensive release of more than 100 documents under freedom of information by my Department allowed me to detail before committee the chronology of events - the communications, the consultations, the recommendations and the decisions - most people had already made up their minds on what had happened.

I want to say to every one of my colleagues in this House but, in particular, to my partners in government, that I regret that this issue has distracted from the important work we have been trying to do and I regret the mistakes made by me in advance of the Cabinet decision and subsequently in terms of not clearing these issues up earlier. I have apologised to the Taoiseach and to my colleagues, and I do so again this evening to everybody in this House. Government is busy and difficult enough without a preventable controversy like this one rumbling on as long as it has.

I have no intention of repeating my evidence to the committee again this evening, but I will say this: my decision to appoint a special envoy was based on a role that was conceived, designed and recommended to me following consultation with my Department. My decision - and it was my decision - to ask Katherine Zappone if she would be interested in such a role, and ultimately to appoint her months later following an extensive process, was in no way corrupt or dishonest. Although I know many on the other side of the House will not accept this, it was a genuine effort to add to the credibility and effectiveness of Ireland in an area of promoting human rights and freedom of expression. This is one of many special envoy roles that Ireland has appointed, Government after Government, and was absolutely consistent with what many like-minded countries are currently doing, including our closest neighbour, the US, Canada and many EU states. For the future, clearly there is a need to restore confidence in the role of special envoys and, certainly, the process by which they are appointed. My Department is undertaking a full review in that regard and I agree with the Taoiseach that from now on, should a special envoy be recommended, we should ensure there is an open competitive process to fill any such position.

I have been in politics for 23 years and in government for more than a decade and every day has been a privilege. I have made mistakes on that journey but I have never had my integrity questioned in the way it has been in the past month, leading to this debate. Ironically, in recent years I have worked closely with many of those who have now chosen to table a motion of no confidence in me. I have worked with them on Brexit and the Northern Ireland protocol, preventing Border infrastructure re-emerging on this island, restoring the devolved institutions in the North, reconciliation and trying to find a way to deal with the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland and maintaining North-South co-operation through it all. All of those difficult achievements required trust. They required respect and an absence of cynical party politics to get important things done. The conversations I have had in private in many cases do not reflect much of the public commentary that I hear from the same people.

Sinn Féin is not attempting to hold the Government or me to account tonight, or even to establish truth. Deputy McDonald is not trying to get answers in this debate or achieve anything positive as regards what really happened here and how we can improve things for the future. This is a political tactic to try to extend a political controversy and to reinforce a false narrative of cronyism to damage relations in this Government. Sinn Féin is doing what it does so often, North and South - stoking tension with an exaggerated narrative in an effort to create anger, resentment and division, not just in this House or in the Government, but across society more generally.

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