Minister in €2.5m debt has Enda’s confidence
ENDA Kenny yesterday expressed confidence in John Perry – but acknowledged the Small Business Minister has ‘problems’.
The Taoiseach said the Sligo-based politician should be given the ‘time and space’ to deal with his debts.
Last week Mr Perry was ordered by the High Court to either repay or reach a deal with Danske Bank within two months over a €2.5million debt.
The High Court was told the junior minister and his wife failed to keep up with repayments on loans secured against 50 acres of agricultural land and retail premises.
Mr Kenny said: ‘I spoke to John last week. Clearly there is a situation here where the court has given an order. I believe the minister is entitled to work with his professional people to see if he is in a position to meet the order of the court, which is September 2.
‘John Perry has worked exceptionally hard as minister of state with responsibility for small business and I can testify to this from the extraordinary lengths he has gone to in engaging with people all around the country about opportunity for expansion of businesses. So as far as his workrate is concerned confidence in him is not an issue. He has a problem here and it is not an easy month for him but I do hope that by September 2 that his people can deal with the order of the court’.
The Taoiseach, speaking at the MacGill Summer School in Glenties, Co. Donegal, was pressed about whether he will ask for Mr Perry’s resignation if he is unable to discharge his debts in the given time.
Mr Kenny said: ‘The bank in question has called in the loans, the matter has been before the court and the judge has given a decision.
‘He has laid out that the parties involved here have until September 2 to see if the condition of the court order can be met. I think in our jurisdiction it is important that John Perry be given the time and the space to deal with the condition of the order of the court’.
The Irish Mail On Sunday revealed yesterday how Mr Perry was being pursued in the High Court for €246,000 just a month before he became a business minister.
Mr Perry was not available for comment last night.