Harney, the FAS trip and the $410 hairdo
Mary Harney listens as the Taoiseach answers questions over expenses she incurred while on a FAS trip
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HEALTH Minister Mary Harney was one of two women who paid a total of $410 for beauty treatments at the taxpayers' expense during a controversial FAS trip to Florida, the Irish Independent can reveal.
The minister stayed at the Radisson Hotel, in Cocoa Beach, where two beauty therapists from the Solutions Salon visited her daily to do her hair.
The other person who benefited -- to a lesser extent -- was Noirin Molloy, wife of former director general of FAS Rody Molloy, who has stepped down because of the controversy over the US trip.
The $410 bill was paid for by a platinum credit card belonging to the FAS director of public affairs Greg Craig, who is currently on official sick leave.
The details emerged a day after the Health Minister sat silently beside Taoiseach Brian Cowen in the Dail as Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny grilled him over the identity of the person involved. Last night, it emerged that Ms Harney, as Enterprise, Trade and Employment Minister, travelled to Florida with seven others on the government jet in July 2004 to visit the FAS science challenge programme.
The jet costs more than €7,000 an hour to operate. But FAS had to purchase half a dozen business class seats to and from Florida as a back-up, in case the jet was needed by the Taoiseach or President, who would have taken precedence.
Insisted
The minister's spokesman last night insisted that all Ms Harney had availed of was a standard wash and blow dry in preparing for official engagements.
One of them was the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Florida Spaceport Authority and FAS. At the time, several Irish youngsters -- including the President's daughter Emma McAleese -- were taking part in the science programme at NASA HQ.
Others on the jet with Ms Harney were her husband, Brian Geoghegan, who was chairman of the FAS board at the time; her private secretary Brigid Flynn; Mr and Mrs Molloy; former secretary general of the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment Paul Haran and his wife, Anne; and the minister's press officer Roisin McCann.
It was also revealed that Mr Molloy decided on Monday night to step down and that there was no pressure from the Government on him to do so.
He took the decision after, what is generally regarded as, a disastrous radio interview with Pat Kenny, where he said he had converted his first-class ticket to two business-class tickets so that his wife could accompany him on trips to the States.
It is believed Mr Molloy will pocket nearly half a million euro when he walks away from his job. He is on a salary of over €203,000, plus an annual bonus of €35,000.
The overall departure package comes to twice his annual remuneration, pushing him close to that half-a-million figure. He will also have completely preserved pension benefits.
Untenable
Last night, Fine Gael enterprise spokesman Leo Varadkar said that if the revelations about Ms Harney were confirmed, then her position was untenable.
"Twelve months ago, Fine Gael tabled a motion of no confidence in Ms Harney based on her appaling record of performance in the Department of Health. These revelations serve to further undermine any trust or confidence the public can have in Ms Harney as Minister for Health," he said.
Meanwhile, both the Taoiseach and Finance Minister Brian Lenihan pointedly refused to express confidence in the remaining board of FAS last night, as they met in crisis session.
Today, senior FAS officials, as well as members of the audit committee, are due to meet the Oireachtas Committee on Public Accounts, chaired by Bernard Allen.
The Taoiseach earlier stood by his defence of Mr Molloy, who he described as "an honourable public servant".
"That confidence was justified," he insisted, adding the departing Fas chief "did the honourable thing" in resigning.
But even as the Taoiseach continued to praise Mr Molloy, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny was calling on the remainder of the FAS board to consider their positions.
"This organisation has a very bad name now," Mr Kenny said. "The position now, in my view, is that you should ask the board to consider their positions.'"
Mr Kenny also highlighted fresh details of other high spending in the agency, including two banquets in a Dublin hotel totalling €17,000.
- John Walshe and Senan Molony
