There was nothing improper about the car offer, and his staff are happy, Minister of State Ivor Callely tells Mark Brennock.
Minister of State Ivor Callely yesterday rejected rumours that he was difficult to work with, sought to explain his offer of a car to his personal assistant and said he had heard there was a concerted campaign under way to damage him.
In his first newspaper interview since this week's revelations about events at his office, he acknowledged that he set "high targets" for himself and his staff, and sometimes had differences with them. But the suggestion that there was a flight of staff from his office was just wrong.
He confirmed the report yesterday that he had offered a personal gift of a new car to his personal assistant, Niall Phelan, as an inducement not to resign. "Yes, I had a discussion out of office over a coffee with Niall and I did indicate to him that I would look after him out of my personal resources if he was to remain as a valuable member of my constituency team." And yes, that "looking after" included a car.
This offer has led to speculation in political circles about how he would have bought this car. This arises from the fact that he has received significant donations from motor industry interests in the past, which he has declared as required by law.
He says these links would not have led him to seek a free or cut-price car to give to Mr Phelan. He would have just "gone out straight and properly to buy a car and get a bank loan and do the normal procedures and declare it the normal way."
Why so big a gift? "I'm looking at an election in a year and a half, and he is loyal and valuable. And I was wondering, having asked him to reconsider the position, was it a case of an incentive and would this be the incentive. He is a good guy." Mr Phelan had dismissed the car offer.
He has had five private secretaries since 2002, four civil servants have recently sought transfers from his department and now his personal assistant has resigned.
Almost all of these moves, however, are down to normal promotional moves, he says, or changes sought by personnel for career or routine personal reasons. All his personal secretaries who had moved on - except the one who resigned recently - had done so for promotional or routine personal reasons, he insists. None had moved on out of any feeling that they were unhappy working with him.
Then came Una McDermott, who resigned a fortnight ago having been asked to attend a political function. Civil servants above the rank of clerical officer are debarred from attending such functions, and she felt the request was therefore inappropriate and sought a transfer.
"If there was any misunderstanding there was a misunderstanding and I regret it," Mr Callely said.
He said Ms McDermott had been a good private secretary. She had not expressed unhappiness about working with him before that, and to his knowledge she had not done so to others in the department.
In relation to the latest resignation, that of Niall Phelan, his personal assistant who dealt with constituency matters, Mr Callely said: "He gave me some reasons in confidence, and I will honour and respect his position in that regard. Both Niall and myself have agreed a position of no comment on his departure."
He noted that in Phelan's resignation letter, details of which have been published in newspapers following anonymous leaks, he refers to his wish to pursue "different career options in the new year".
"He indicated to me that that is why he is resigning at this time. He said [in the letter which has been published] he wanted to resign at the end of December 2005 to look at different career options. But I do have to stress that he has asked me specifically to make no comment on his departure."
He acknowledges that there are others in his office seeking a transfer now, but says this is also down to a variety of normal reasons.
Asked whether anybody who had left had said they were doing so because they said they didn't like working with him, he replied: "They certainly have said the opposite to me."
He said he had retained a number of key staff for many years. "Of course, I have my differences with people, and within this department and in this office there is a lot of work going on, There are a lot of pressures in the department. I certainly set high targets and agendas, but that's my style. I like to move forward, and indeed a lot of people compliment me for it."
He said several people "at different levels" had said to him that there was a concerted effort to damage him. He had got inquiries as to whether he had demanded a new carpet in his office (he didn't, he says). There had also been questions about recent changing of the décor in his office. In fact, his private secretary had picked a colour which might not have been his choice, "but it's not my office. It's run by the Department of Transport. The only thing I requested be put in my office was a clock."