Varadkar knew Zappone would tackle the Pope
THE Taoiseach was told about Katherine Zappone’s plan to challenge the Pontiff in Italian, the Irish Mail on Sunday can reveal.
The Children’s Minister has been criticised for waiting two days before revealing what she said to Pope Francis at Áras an Uachtaráin – a move Tuam Babies campaigners described as a ‘publicity stunt’.
The minister’s office declined to tell the MoS whether she started learning Italian specifically for her meeting with the Pope, or when she told Leo Varadkar of her plans.
Ms Zappone was the only Government minister invited to greet the Pope alongside President Michael D Higgins and other dignitaries at Áras an Uachtaráin.
Speaking to Pope Francis in Italian she said: ‘I am responsible for the Tuam Mother & Baby Home. Children’s remains were found in the sewage system there. I hope the Church will make reparation for its part in this shameful chapter. It is important and I will write to you in detail.’
She also gave a letter to the Pope’s representatives asking the Church to ‘contribute substantially to the cost of whatever option is decided by the Government’ for the former home. Her spokesman refused to say if she had told Mr Varadkar that she would request a ‘significant contribution’ from the Church. The spokesman said: ‘We’re not getting into that detail. The letter makes it clear who it’s from. The minister spoke extensively on Monday and we’re not adding anything further.’
A spokesperson for the Taoiseach said she had informed Mr Varadkar of her intentions – but would not indicate when exactly he had been told. The Department of Children and Youth Affairs also refused to define what the minister meant by a ‘significant contribution’.
After repeated requests for information, the spokesman said Ms Zappone got her invitation to the Áras ‘about a week and-a-half beforehand’.
This week the minister told Miriam O’Callaghan on RTÉ Radio 1 that she was just ‘beginning to learn Italian’. But since then she has refused to answer questions about her preparations.
The minister’s spokesman Jerry O’Connor said: ‘Well, how the minister learned Italian is, the minister has an Italian background.’
When reminded that Ms Zappone had said she was just ‘beginning’ to learn the language, he added: ‘I’m not getting into detail like that.’
Tuam Home Survivors Network chairman Peter Mulryan said they believe Ms Zappone’s meeting with the Pope was more for her benefit than for theirs.
The group is lobbying for the full exhumation of the site, along with the DNA testing of the remains of the 796 babies buried in a septic tank.
Ms Zappone is expected to decide on action by early autumn.
‘She hasn’t come near us since the last meeting in Tuam. She’s gone into hiding as far as I can see,’ Mr Mulryan said. ‘I’m afraid all we’ll be getting now is that we have to wait for the Pope to respond before anything can happen with Tuam. It’s all a game of delay.’
‘We are not getting into detail’