Leo ‘won’t stop TDs visiting North Korea’
But Taoiseach says it won’t be a Government trip
LEO Varadkar has said that if Independent Alliance minister John Halligan wishes to travel to North Korea, he won’t send anyone to stop him at the airport.
The Taoiseach yesterday ruled out any prospect of a Government mission to the secretive nation, but added that he would not prevent the Junior Minister for Training and Skills from travelling in a private capacity.
Last week, the Irish Daily Mail exclusively revealed Mr Halligan had written to the North Korean embassy in London seeking to travel to the troubled peninsula as a peace envoy.
His plan was backed by his Independent Alliance colleagues Shane Ross and Finian McGrath, Determined: John Halligan who are set to travel with him if the proposed trip goes ahead.
But it emerged that the trio had not sought permission from the Government or the Department of Foreign Affairs before writing to the embassy.
Yesterday, Mr Varadkar said: ‘There isn’t going to be a Government mission to North Korea and the Minister for Foreign Affairs [Simon Coveney] has been very clear on that. But I’m certainly not the keeper of any of my ministers, so if they wish to travel to North Korea, I’m not going to be sending anyone to stop them at the airport.’
Last week, Mr Halligan was rebuked by the Department of Foreign Affairs over the plan, and it was agreed he would attend a briefing on the rogue nuclear nation this week.
Yesterday, the Department confirmed the briefing had not yet taken place, with a spokesman saying: ‘The offer was made to organise a briefing with the Minister, which will take place whenever it suits his schedule.’
Asked if Mr Halligan had agreed to attend, the spokesman replied that he had accepted the offer ‘in principle’.
Mr Halligan said last week that he had intended to travel to the troubled region as a parliamentarian and not as a representative of Government. However, he added that he felt the Government should intervene in the situation. ‘We’ve nothing to lose,’ he said.
When asked what he would say to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un if he met him, Mr Halligan said: ‘I would ask him to engage with democracy.’
Transport Minister Shane Ross has maintained his silence on the story since it broke, having initially indicated he supported the plans.
However, Junior Minister for Disability Issues Finian McGrath is publicly backing Mr Halligan. He tweeted: ‘It is a shock to see how 3 TDs advocating an antiwar message are ridiculed and vilified. Are we to just accept nuclear war is inevitable?’
However, over the weekend it emerged the plan was causing a split within the Independent Alliance, with TDs Seán Canney and Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran publicly distancing themselves from those seeking to travel to the totalitarian state.