By Cate McCurry, PA
The Coalition is struggling to contain the fallout from Katherine Zappone’s appointment as UN special envoy after it emerged she privately thanked Simon Coveney over the role months before being formally nominated.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs is now facing questioning over the appointment at the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs, with Opposition charges that the process “stinks to high heaven”.
There was deep concern among senior figures across Government on Monday night after a dramatic day which saw more than 100 documents connected to the appointment released by the Department of Foreign Affairs under the Freedom of Information Act.
Text messages sent to Mr Coveney’s phone released by the department show Ms Zappone thanked him in early March for the “incredible opportunity” of the job as special envoy.
However, other records released by the department show officials didn’t begin discussing the scope of the role for several weeks thereafter.
Contradictions
The records also appear to contradict explanations given by Mr Coveney this summer, when he said the role was not created for Ms Zappone and it was only after the creation of the job was decided upon that he asked her if she would be willing to do it.
Ms Zappone, a former government minister, was told of her appointment to a UN role almost five months before Cabinet was made aware.
In a WhatsApp message to Mr Coveney on March 4th, she wrote: “Hi Simon, thank you so, so much for offering me this incredible opportunity. It will be such a privilege and I will be so proud to serve Ireland again. I think the time is really ripe for change too.”
In a separate text that day, she said: “Could you let me know time period appointment is for, and what are next steps. As you know, am working with UNFPA till mid or end of June.”
The records also show that in a text dated February 26th, Ms Zappone said she “knows well” what is going on with LGBTQ issues within “UN context”.
She ended the text by saying: “Thanks very much Simon.”
USAID role
In an earlier text message, dated February 22nd, Ms Zappone said she has expressed an interest in the possibility of working for USAID on women, girls and LGBTQ issues.
She also sought Mr Coveney’s help getting introduced to Samantha Power, the head of the US Agency for International Development.
The records show that officials at the Department of Foreign Affairs were discussing the job and had complied a briefing on a special envoy role in March, weeks after Ms Zappone had thanked Mr Coveney.
Mr Coveney previously denied that the role was created for Ms Zappone, saying she was approached after.
However, a document dated March 25th revealed that officials were only then discussing the scope of a “possible envoy position”.
Documents dated April 19th show department officials agreed that it would be a role as Envoy for Freedom of Expression.
In a text dated April 9th, Ms Zappone said to Mr Coveney that she had “heard in the background the Department may be ready to discuss proposals with you for my work?”
“Look forward to hearing from you. K,” Ms Zappone added.
Then on May 4th, she texted: “Hi Simon, hope all well. Any news yet? You had mentioned June as start time. Thanks K”.
No replies
The screenshots of the messages shows that Mr Coveney did not reply to the vast majority of the texts.
Mr Coveney previously told an Oireachtas committee that he deletes messages over hacking fears.
It was also revealed that Ms Zappone contacted a UN ambassador on June 6th about her appointment, expressing frustration over the delay, adding there was “radio silence” from Mr Coveney about the role.
Later that month, an official from the department’s legal division was told that while Ms Zappone was a guest speaker at a Washington Embassy event and did some work on LBGT+ issues, there was no other engagement with her.
In another text dated July 21st, on the day of Ms Zappone’s outdoor party at the Merrion Hotel, Ms Zappone told Mr Coveney that she and Niall Burgess, the then-foreign affairs secretary general, agreed that the post would last two years to “achieve the objectives”.
She ended the message: “Thanks again for this privilege and opportunity.”
Further correspondence reveals that in an email to a Department of Foreign Affairs official, sent the day after the Merrion Hotel party, Ms Zappone said she spoke about the role with Leo Varadkar, who she said was “really excited” about it.
At that time, HR officials emailed others in the department to say that the person that they “had in mind” for the role was an ex-minister.
The email, sent on July 26th, was the day before Cabinet was made aware of the position.
'I shall serve you'
A message sent on July 27th, after the Cabinet meeting had ended, Ms Zappone text Mr Coveney saying: “Thank you minister.
“I shall serve you, and our beloved country, to the best of my ability. Warmest, Katherine.”
Ms Zappone stepped back from the special envoy position after a storm arose around the manner of her appointment.
In a statement, Mr Coveney said: “I am sorry that this appointment has caused such controversy for the Government.
“I have apologised to the Taoiseach for the failings on my part in relation to this issue and I have no hesitation in doing so again.
“Finally, a review of envoy positions is ongoing in the Department, however I agree with the Taoiseach’s call for all future appointments to be made by open public competition.”
The Opposition will seek to press home charges that the appointment was a ready-up. Gary Gannon, the Social Democrats spokesman on foreign affairs, said it “stinks to high heaven”.
