Communications Minister Denis Naughten has resigned from cabinet over revelations he met three times with the only bidder still in the national broadband plan process.
In a shock statement to the Dáil this afternoon, Mr Naughten said bluntly “I’ve given the Taoiseach my resignation”, saying “it is clear the Taoiseach does not have confidence in me”.
On Wednesday, it emerged Mr Naughten held a hugely controversial and previously unknown June 28 meeting with billionaire Irish-American businessman David McCourt.
In addition, it also emerged Mr Naughten “facilitated” and paid for a €37 Leinster House lunch for Mr McCourt and his daughter on April 18, although he did not attend.
The meetings followed a third meeting with Mr McCourt in New York in July.
On Wednesday, Mr Naughten responded to questions from the Irish Examiner over whether he will resign by saying he has done “nothing wrong”.
However, 24 hours later, he told the Dáil this afternoon he is quitting cabinet.
Mr Naughten said he met Mr Varadkar last night to offer to move aside on the national broadband plan and give his responsibility on the matter to junior minister Sean Kyne.
He said he also offered to instigate a review of his role in the matter.
However, after saying Mr Varadkar responded by telling Mr Naughten he needed to “reflect on my position”, Mr Naughten said “it is clear the Taoiseach does not have confidence in me”.
“I’m now left in that impossible stark position a politician never wants to be in. Do I make the decision to resign or wait for the decision to be made for me. It’s more about optics than fiber optics,” he said, before adding to shock in the Dáil:
“I’ve given the Taoiseach my resignation.”
The decision by Mr Naughten to quit the cabinet will intensify fears of a potential general election, although it remains unclear at this stage if he will continue to support the Government.
In addition, the decision is believed to have caught both Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and other senior cabinet officials off-guard, as Mr Varadkar and Tánaiste Simon Coveney were not present in the Dáil when Mr Naughten stepped down.
Responding to Mr Naughten’s shock resignation, a number of Fianna Fáil TDs including Timmy Dooley, Eugene Murphy and others turned their targets to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who they insisted now has questions to answer.
In particular, Mr Murphy said:
“One person is to blame, the Taoiseach. He may have thrown Denis Naughten under the bus, but I would remind the Taoiseach the bus is still rolling down the road and he is wandering all over that road. This could be the rock he falls on.”
Green party leader Eamon Ryan repeated the question, before adding bluntly: “Do we have a Government? That’s the sort of question we have this afternoon… I think the future of this Government hangs in the balance this afternoon, that’s the real story.”
Similarly, Independent TD Thomas Pringle said: “The chief whip is running around trying to rally members now, when everyone else seems to have fecked off and not aware of what happening.”
Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice said: “”It’s nearly like down the country when someone dies, everyone says how great you were when you’re gone.”