Independents at war over peace mission to North Korea
‘The played into hands of mainstream parties’ ‘Boxer is furious. There is no two ways about it’
A DAMAGING split opened in the Independent Alliance last night as a minister and a TD stated they do not support the plan by three ministerial colleagues to travel to North Korea on a peace mission.
Alliance Minister Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran and Deputy Seán Canney are categorically against the move.
There was also fury at the Department of Foreign Affairs last night over the ‘diplomatic nightmare’ created by the scheme devised by Transport Minister Shane Ross and junior ministers Finian McGrath and John Halligan. The three were laying low yesterday but a source close to one of them pledged they ‘will not do anything in breach of Government policy’.
It was revealed by our sister newspaper, the Irish Daily Mail, that Junior Enterprise Minister Halligan has written to the North Korean embassy in London seeking permission for a parliamentary visit by the trio.
Mr Halligan and Mr McGrath told the Mail they would welcome an opportunity to hold talks with Kim Jong-un – dubbed ‘Little Rocket Man’ by Donald Trump.
But Minister Moran and Mr Canney – the other two Independent Alliance members who support the minority Fine Gael Government – were very angry.
Minister Moran and Mr Canney shared the office of Minister of State for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief over the last year. The two men flipped a coin to see who would serve first.
Mr Canney, who passed the portfolio to Minister Moran in June, could barely contain his anger.
‘This is not an Independent Alliance project, I respect the fact that any TD can decide what they want to do, whatever they want to make a priority of. But I want it clearly stated that this is not an Independent Alliance sponsored or promoted gig.’ He said his priorities are the Apple facility for Athenry that has run into difficulty and the University College Galway Hospital.
A friend of Mr Moran said he is also angry. He said: ‘Boxer is distancing himself from the rest of them, he is absolutely furious. There’s no two ways about it.’ He said: ‘What they did is play into hands of mainstream parties who can say “look we put them in government and this is what they do.”’
Senior Fine Gael ministerial sources told the Irish Mail on Sunday that they had to move to stop the bizarre mission, as it could cause huge diplomatic problems with the United States and the European Union.
A Cabinet source said it would cause major problems as ‘Mr Halligan, for instance, has been very critical of Donald Trump. He cannot go representing his views to North Korean regime without it being interpreted in the United States as representing the views of the Irish Government’.
Minister McGrath has publicly supported Mr Halligan’s peace mission. However, he sent a text to our reporter at 10.46pm on Friday night calling off an interview on the subject.
The three Independent Alliance Ministers are believed to be extremely upset that they have become figures of ridicule over their bizarre proposed trip. RTÉ’s coverage has upset them most.
Mr Halligan’s phone was shut off all day yesterday.