FF: Naughten should not rule on media firm mergers

MICHEÁL Martin has said Communications Minister Denis Naughten shouldn’t be able to rule on media mergers and should apologise to the House and correct the record.

The Fianna Fáil leader said Mr Naughten had misled the Dáil in relation to the affairs of a phone call he made to a lobbyist for Independent News and Media.

Mr Naughten told lobbyist Eoghan Ó Neachtáin about a decision on a proposed media takeover when he had not told the Dáil.

Mr Martin told the Dáil yesterday that three weeks after the minister’s call with the lobbyist – in which he stated his intention to refer a controversial business deal to a watchdog – Mr Naughten replied to two TDs’ questions saying: ‘I have not made my views known and I am not going to.’

Mr Martin added: ‘Of course, he had already made his views known to the lobbyist. Clearly the two statements do not tally.’

‘The minister made a serious error of judgment and his defence to date in respect of that serious error has been very poor.’

Responding to the deluge of criticism in the Dáil yesterday, the Taoiseach said: ‘Minister Naughten didn’t do any favours for anyone. He didn’t do any favours for Independent News & Media, he didn’t do any favours for Denis O’Brien.

‘In fact his action was to delay the merger – delay the proposed merger between INM and Celtic Media by referring it to the Broadcasting Authority.’

The Taoiseach said of the Naughten telephone call: ‘He accepts it was a political mistake which he regrets and for which he has apologised.’

However, Mr Martin said that Mr Varadkar’s response was ‘somewhat incredible’, asking: ‘Can the Taoiseach not differentiate between right and wrong?’