An Tánaiste’s office Leo Varadkar has released text conversations he had with Simon Coveney and Katherine Zappone around her appointment and the #MerrionGate controversy.
Text messages between Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney & Katherine Zappone on #MerrionGate pic.twitter.com/l4ta0cNLhW
— Kieran Cuddihy (@kierancuddihy) September 1, 2021
The tweets make it clear that:
1. Katherine Zappone talked to Tánaiste Leo Varadkar about the Special Envoy position created for her at the UN 11 days before the Cabinet meeting which approved her nomination.
On July 16th, she texted Mr Varadkar to say: “Hi Leo, from the Piglet! I was expecting to hear from Simon C (Coveney) about my appointment as Special Envoy for Huma. Rights and LGBTQ+ issues. Have you heard anything? If you around next Wednesday hope to meet you.”
2. Mr Varadkar raised the Zappone appointment with Simon Coveney ahead of the private dinner in the Merrion Hotel – and Coveney said it was about Freedom of Expression with emphasis on LGBT rights
“Yeah, I spoke to Katherine tonight. She’s meeting Niall Burgess (the secretary general of the Department) on Wednesday to finalise a 12 month contract to ben an Irish Govt Special Envoy for ‘Freedom of Expression and Human Rights’ (with a focus on LGBT). She seems very happy. I plan to have it in a memo for Govt next week. SC.”
3. Politicians have weird names for each other.
“Hi Leo, from the Piglet”. *
(*ok, we know The Piglet is a wine bar. It would have been funnier if they all had weird nicknames)