Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)

In three successive elections Fianna Fáil engaged and paid for media coaching services provided by broadcaster Ivan Yates.

He coached six Fianna Fáil Ministers, including the Taoiseach, yet you failed to disclose this relationship even though there was a clear conflict of interest. You knew Ivan Yates was playing for your team, contributing to Fianna Fáil election strategy and then presenting himself as an independent commentator in the national media, yet you said nothing.

Fianna Fáil already attempted to engineer a situation in this Dáil whereby Michael Lowry's crew could sit in government and opposition at the same time. Now, you think there is no problem with a consultant working for your party and then working for the media whose job it is to hold you to account. Of course, Ivan Yates should have disclosed his working relationship with Fianna Fáil. The Minister, Deputy Chambers, was the director of elections for Fianna Fáil during the presidential election. Did he not see a responsibility to publicly declare this relationship?

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