Ganley link was business not politics says Geoghegan-Quinn
Related Articles
Wednesday November 18 2009
IRELAND'S new European Commissioner Maire Geoghegan-Quinn last night insisted her links to Declan Ganley were merely professional.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen was accused of putting the interests of Fianna Fail ahead of the interests of the country by naming his former cabinet colleague for the high-profile position.
And questions were again raised about Ms Geoghegan-Quinn's previous work for Lisbon 'No' campaigner Declan Ganley.
Fine Gael European Affairs spokeswoman Lucinda Creighton said Ms Geoghegan-Quinn was a "competent and experienced politician" but she had "serious reservations" about the appointment.
"This link with Ganley could become a major issue when she appears before the European Parliament hearing. The appointment of a new Commission is now a rigorous process, and is subject to the approval of the MEPs," she said.
But Ms Geoghegan-Quinn said she just worked as a consultant for Mr Ganley for a few months. "Twelve years ago, when I left politics, a number of companies, including the Ganley group of companies, approached me and asked me would I do part-time consultancy work for them.
Brief
"His company was one of the companies that I did part-time consultancy work for. I did that for a brief period of a number of months and at the end of that I finished," she said.
Ms Geoghegan-Quinn will become the first female Irish Commissioner, making history for the second time in her career as she was only the second female cabinet minister in 1979.
Mr Cowen avoided the holding of a by-election by not nominating a cabinet minister to the role. The Taoiseach specifically referred to the demands from the European Commission for "gender balance" in new appointments as a factor behind his decision.
But there are serious question marks over Ms Geoghegan Quinn securing a big portfolio, such as the Innovation post wanted by the Government. It is believed she will become the Budget Commissioner.
Mr Cowen contacted Ms Geoghegan-Quinn 12 days ago about taking the job, and since then she has met with European Commission President Jose-Manuel Barroso.
"He was not in a position, he made it clear, to discuss any portfolios," she said.
Ms Geoghegan-Quinn openly admits she wanted the post 16 years ago when Padraig Flynn was appointed as Commissioner, but was surprised to now be offered the post. "It wasn't remotely in my mind," she said.
Ms Geoghegan-Quinn said she was precluded from being involved in politics in her capacity as a member of the European Court of Auditors for the past nine years. But she argued her experience in Europe was more valuable than being in domestic politics over that time.
"My face would not be an unknown face, either in the parliament or in the Commission," she told the Irish Independent. "It gives me a very close insight into the way the Commission is doing its business."
Ms Geoghegan-Quinn said the improvements in the way the Commission operated came from recommendations of the European Court of Auditors, which were then acted upon by the Parliament.
But Labour's Joe Costello said the appointment would make the task of securing a high-profile commissionership all the more difficult.
"Nobody is in any doubt about the ability or integrity of Maire Geoghegan-Quinn. However, she has had no public profile in this country for more than 12 years and has had little visibility at EU level during her tenure in the Court of Auditors," he said.
- Fionnan Sheahan, Political Editor
Irish Independent
