Minister of State Mr Frank Fahey has pledged to end the practice of sending invitations to Fianna Fáil fundraising events on Government headed notepaper amid a new controversy over the use of Government facilities for party purposes.
Last Monday, Mr Fahey sent invitations to business people to attend a "corporate breakfast" in support of a Fianna Fáil European Parliament candidate on Government Department headed notepaper. This comes just days after it emerged that the Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, used civil servants to prepare canvassing material for Fianna Fáil candidates.
In his letter posted on Monday, Mr Fahey told business people that the Taoiseach would be guest speaker at the event "being held in support of Seán Ó Neachtain's European election campaign". At the function Mr Ahern "will hear the views of business and commercial interests in the west of Ireland".
Mr Ahern's speech, at the Galway Bay Hotel in Salthill tomorrow "will deal with the major issues of concern to the Government in its quest to drive economic development in the west of Ireland. He will outline the main priorities for infrastructural development in the region over the next five years".
The letter was sent on notepaper headed "Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Office of the Minister for Labour Affairs". At the bottom is the address and phone number of Mr Fahey's constituency office in Galway. Details of the letter were revealed by TG4 news last night.
Mr Fahey said last night that the notepaper used was the paper he always used to send constituency letters.
However, he said he "accepts that it probably was not appropriate and will discontinue the practice".