GREEN PARTY REACTION:GREEN PARTY leader and Minister for the Environment John Gormley insisted he had no idea senior Fianna Fáil ministers were going to resign from Cabinet to enable Taoiseach Brian Cowen to appoint new ministers.
Mr Gormley said he knew nothing about the statement released to media outlets at 10.55pm on Wednesday revealing the resignations as ministers of Dermot Ahern, Noel Dempsey and Tony Killeen.
A meeting took place on Wednesday morning between a Fianna Fáil team led by Mr Cowen and a Green team led by Mr Gormley.
Accompanying Mr Cowen were the now former minister for defence Tony Killeen and the Government Chief Whip John Curran.
Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan and Green Party chairman Senator Dan Boyle were with Mr Gormley.
Mr Gormley said Mr Killeen indicated he was going to resign, and Mr Cowen “may have mentioned there were indications he wanted to replace” other ministers. However, the Green delegation had made clear this would be a bad idea.
“We could not have been clearer. We said it in the most unequivocal fashion.
“Eamon Ryan was very forceful in his delivery, and he said this was not a good idea; this sent out all of the wrong signals.
“The Irish people were suffering, and they were furious and this would be the final insult.
“I can tell you, we had expected that we would be listened to,” said Mr Gormley.
He insisted repeatedly that some Fianna Fáil Ministers did not think the plan was a good idea either, and the Greens assumed there would be further contact before any decision was made.
Asked about the discrepancy between his version of events and the one coming from Fianna Fáil sources, Mr Gormley said: “I’m always very reluctant to accuse anybody of lying. That would be completely unparliamentary. But what I am saying is that the version of events that we’re giving you here today is the version that we believe is the correct version,” he said.
Mr Gormley also revealed that after his 6pm TV interview on Wednesday, he received a phone call from the now former minister for justice Dermot Ahern, who is recuperating from an operation.
“You may recall that I said there may be a case for Dermot Ahern [to resign] because he could not perform his duties while he was ill.
“Dermot Ahern did take exception to that. He said he was quite capable of performing his duties, and I took it from that that there was going to be a continuation.”
He also said he spoke to the now former Independent minister for health Mary Harney yesterday evening, who gave him “no indication whatsoever” she was going to resign from Cabinet.
Mr Gormley said he spoke to Mr Cowen after he heard the 7am radio news yesterday, expressing surprise and dismay.
