The Minster for Public Enterprise today rejected allegations that she or someone in her office deliberately leaked misleading reports to the media about former CIÉ chairman Mr Brian Joyce, thus precipitating his controversial resignation last year.
Mrs Mary O’Rourke told the rail signalling inquiry that she took "grave exception" to the allegations and said they had neither "validity or truth".
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Minister for Public Enterprise Mrs Mary O'Rourke
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Earlier Mr Joyce told the inquiry he believed Mrs O'Rourke or someone close to her deliberately leaked misleading information about him to the media. He claimed the leaks "put a certain slant on things" and were the "immediate" cause of his resignation in March 2000.
He described some reports in the media as "divinely inspired" and referred to one Irish Timesarticle in particular which he said misrepresented his views on the LUAS light rail system.
In her evidence today, Mrs O'Rourke produced a letter from Irish Timesjournalist Mr Frank McDonald in January 2000 to the Ministry requesting all correspondence between CIÉ and the Ministry in relation to the LUAS project under the Freedom of Information Act.
She said this is where the information concerning Mr Joyce’s views on the LUAS came from.
Mr Joyce told the inquiry today he had no evidence to back up his claims but that he had been asked his opinion and he had given it. He said his relationship with Mrs O’Rourke at the time was "business like".
When resigning from his post, Mr Joyce cited "fundamentally differing views" with Mrs O'Rourke over the autonomy of CIÉ.
Mrs O’Rourke caused a stir at the time by revealing she had heard of Mr Joyce’s resignation while in the bath. She denied inappropriate interference in the management of the group.
The inquiry by a subcommittee of the Joint Oireachtas Committee of Public Enterprise and Transport was set up to establish why the cost of a 1997 signalling programme for lesser-used lines on the Iarnród Éireann railway spiralled to more than £50 million despite a £14 million projection.
It is simultaneously investigating what link the network built for Esat had to the overrun in costs.
Mr Joyce also told the inquiry of how the heavily politicised atmosphere in CIE had thwarted former chief executive, Mr Michael McDonnell’s attempt to reform the company.
He said "political games" were rampant at the time. Industrial relations were also a major stumbling block to McDonnell’s vision of reform, he said. Mr McDonnell was to be called as a witness to the inquiry but he died suddenly last April.
