Sinn Féin spokesperson on Public Expenditure and Reform, Mairéad Farrell TD, has said the latest release of documents, which show that Katherine Zappone was aware of her appointment four months before cabinet, reinforces the importance of a fair and functioning FOI system. 

She warned the revelations expose a poor approach to public standards and a lack of transparency by this government.

Speaking this evening, Teachta Farrell said:

“The latest release of correspondence related to Merriongate shows once again how important a fair and functioning FOI system is. It also serves as an important reminder about why we cannot allow the regime’s continued misuse, and the poor practice of Fine Gael Ministers toward public appointments, standards and ethics.

“The public have been taken for fools during this entire process. We have had conflicting accounts of what has happened, constantly changing versions of events, incredulous excuses about hacking, abuse of the FOI regime and now the latest revelation shows the public have been misled once again. This stuff cannot be believed by a thinking person.

“The Taoiseach, who is the leader of this country, has been played for a fool, and it is interesting to contrast the treatment handed down to his own Fianna Fáil ministers, in comparison to their Fine Gael counterparts.

“It is high time the Taoiseach took charge of the situation and his Deputy leader Minister McGrath came out of hiding and commented on the current state of FOI.”