Madigan denies breaking any ethics rules over meeting

CULTURE Minister Josepha Madigan has denied she broke any ethics rules by taking civil servants to a private Fine Gael meeting. The minister had civil servants from her department quizzed by Fine Gael TDs and Senators about a controversial ban on hare coursing last week.

A specific Code of Conduct for civil servants and political activity tells ministers not to “request civil servants to conduct briefings in settings such as parliamentary party meetings”.

FF has accused FG of ignoring ethics rules and “treating the civil service as party functionaries”.

Ms Madigan, the newest member of Cabinet, has been at the centre of controversy over her role in Fine Gael TD Maria Bailey’s infamous swing fall compensation case.Now the Culture Minister is taking heat from rural Fine Gael TDs over the ban on the licencing of catching hares due to a virus affecting rabbits and hares. The coursing season is under threat due to the ban.

Only Fine Gael TDs were invited to the briefing, which was held in the Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting rooms in Leinster House.

Fine Gael sources say the invitation to the meeting was issued by Ms Madigan’s office to all the party’s TDs and Senators, but nobody outside the party was invited.

She was advised at the meeting to hold a cross-party meeting to try to assuage the anger at the ban.

Agriculture Minister Michael Creed also took officials from his department to the meeting. Under the civil service code of conduct, civil servants are required to be impartial in doing their duties.

“Ministers have been advised that office holders should not request civil servants to conduct briefings in settings such as parliamentary party meetings, constituency branch meetings or similar type meetings,” a memo from the Department of Public Expenditure setting out the guidelines says.

Fianna Fail deputy leader Dara Calleary said the rules are clear.

“Fine Gael have been so long in Government now that they are treating the civil service as party functionaries. There are guidelines in place to prevent this — Fine Gael cannot ignore them,” he said.

Ms Madigan’s office said she didn’t breach the rules, as set out by the Standards In Public Office Commission (SIPO). “This technical briefing was consistent with the SIPO code,” her spokesman said. Ms Madigan’s spokesman said they won’t be making any further comment on the matter.

The minister’s office won’t say what officials attended the briefing and whether their attendance was approved by the secretary general of the department.