Humphreys had no role in seanad appointment dbcle

Cavan-Monaghan Deputy and Fine Gael Minister for Arts Heather Humphreys had “no role whatsoever” to play in the selection of the party's candidate selection for the Seanad bye election. The statement comes as pressure mounts on the government over the controversy surrounding the nomination of John McNulty as Fine Gael candidate.

In a statement to The Anglo-Celt from the department, it said Minister Humphreys' decision to appoint Mr McNulty, a self-employed businessman from Donegal to the board of the Irish Museum of Modern Art came after a visit she made to the national institution last month.

It said the appointment of Mr McNulty and one other happened to “allow for better regional representation” on the Board.

In considering potential IMMA Board members, the statement said the Minister was conscious of “the balance of talent, experience and skills amongst existing Board members”, not to mention “the skills need of an institution such as IMMA, as well as age, gender and regional balance”.

Appointed on merits

The Minister appointed both Mr McNulty from Kilcar, Donegal and Ms Sheila O'Regan from Ardagh, Co. Limerick to the Board of the Irish Museum of Modern Art on September 12 last.

Mr McNulty, the department statement said is involved in promoting culture, heritage, the GAA and the Irish language. “He has been actively involved in local heritage events and heritage restoration projects in South Donegal, as well as festivals such as the Fleadh Ceol and is currently driving a three year Irish language development plan for the area.”

Ms O'Regan's qualifications includes her work as curator of the Palatine Museum in Rathkeale, Co Limerick, for nine years. “She has a MA in Local History from UL. She is a member of a number of local community groups and voluntary groups, and her previous experience includes time as a Research Librarian and a Field Survey Representative with the ESRI. She was a founder of the local community station, West Limerick 102fm, and is currently a producer and presenter for the station.”

Her experience also includes service on the boards of Rural Bus and West Limerick Resources.

Minister Humphreys, it was stated had “no role whatsoever to play in the selection of Fine Gael’s candidate for the Seanad bye election.”

Calls to suspend Seanad

Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil Deputy Brendan Smith has backed calls by his party leader Micheál Martin for a suspension of the Seanad by-election in light of the controversy surrounding the nomination of Mr McNulty as Fine Gael Seanad by-election candidate.
Deputy Brendan Smith has laid the blame for the situation squarely with the Taoiseach Enda Kenny and said that Mr McNulty’s appointment to the board was contrived by the party leadership.
“Mr McNulty was appointed to the Irish Museum of Modern Art board to facilitate his eligibility for the cultural and education panel to contest the Seanad by-election,” said Deputy Smith.
He added that it was unfair for Minister Humphreys to get the blame. “I am sure this was a decision by the leadership of Fine Gael,” he said, adding that his constituency colleague had been left “carrying the can” and it was “unfair”.
Deputy Smith also pointed out that a previous objection to Mr McNulty’s candidature by a former TUI president, Gerard Craughwell, was dropped after Mr Craughwell learned that Mr McNulty was a member of the IMMA board. However, Deputy Smith said that perhaps Mr Craughwell only had “partial knowledge of the situation” when he withdrew his objection, not being aware that Mr McNulty had only been appointed to the board some days previously.

Jobs for the boys
The Fianna Fáil party is accusing Fine Gael of contriving the appointment in the first to help his candidacy in the Seanad by-election; while Sinn Féin has said it is a case of jobs for the boys and cronyism.
However, Fine Gael back bencher John Deasy has said he is disgusted at how the party is being run and that Mr McNulty’s nomination to the Seanad had been manipulated and abused. He said that he believed Deputy Humphreys was simply doing what “she was told to” by the Taoiseach Enda Kenny when appointed Mr McNulty to the board of IMMA.
The Seanad vacancy arises out of the election of Senator Deirdre Clune to the European Parliament.
Tánaiste Joan Burton has said that the “standard practice” was that the party from which the vacancy arose had the right to fill that vacancy.