Coughlan defends her performance as Minister

TÁNAISTE Mary Coughlan has defended her performance as Minister for Enterprise against claims that she was an “embarrassment”, used inappropriate language and was unsuitable to represent Ireland abroad.

She also rejected Fine Gael calls that she should “move out” of her department to save it being “chopped up”.

Ms Coughlan described the claims as “nasty comments” and said most were politically motivated. The Minister told the Dáil: “My personality is a matter for others to decide. My job is to represent this country abroad when I do so and I do so with pride and with the privilege that has been bestowed on me by my Taoiseach.”

Ms Coughlan was responding during in the Dáil after Fine Gael spokesman Leo Varadkar raised the issue. Mr Varadkar referred to the RTÉ programme Frontline.

“Somebody in the audience talked about your representation of us abroad and said that there was a cringe factor to it all,” he said. “Another article in the paper said that the IDA are embarrassed by you when you go overseas with them. Others have said that you are unable to talk to business people and that when you do, the language you use is often inappropriate and vulgar. What do you say to those who level the charge at you that you’re not suitable to represent Ireland overseas?”

Ms Coughlan described them as “nasty comments. I appreciate very much that many of those are politically motivated.” She said she had worked for the country to continue to bring in foreign direct investment, with 125 investments last year “on the basis of considerable hard work on the basis of myself and my colleagues and the development agencies”.

Mr Varadkar had earlier asked if the Taoiseach had consulted the Tánaiste about media reports of proposals to reform the department. “Do you accept that the reason why the department is under review may well be . . . because of the fact that you are the Minister of that department and not because there is any serious consideration being given to reforming the department itself?”

“This is a matter for the Taoiseach,” Ms Coughlan said. “However I think it is important to say that myself and all my colleagues have been very much involved in the streamlining of the services that we do provide to our citizens.”

Mr Varadkar asked if the Taoiseach had discussed a potential break-up of the department with the Tánaiste. Ms Coughlan said: “I have numerous discussions with the Taoiseach on many issues which are the privilege of myself and the Taoiseach and unlike others I do not discuss them in the public domain.”

Later Fine Gael spokesman on small business Damien English sharply criticised Ms Coughlan and claimed she would do the country a better service if she “moved out” of her department.

He added: “I actually think you’d be better serving this country if you moved out of your department so that it wouldn’t be chopped up because chopping it up and moving it around is going to cause delays in strategies and action and we’ve had nothing but inaction.”

Ms Coughlan however said she had ensured a reduction in electricity and gas costs and in the regulatory burden on business. She added that the “competitiveness issue is being addressed fully”.