Simon Coveney has described his staff in the ChampagneGate photo as “happy,” but “tired.”
Minister Coveney regrets not formally raising the issue of the infamous selfie on the night of the celebrations with the man who took the photo, then-Secretary General, Niall Burgess.
It has also been revealed that the Minister of Foreign Affairs also spoke to the department team on the night of their ill-judged photo.
Mr Coveney is appearing before the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs committee on Tuesday evening to face opposition politicians over the incident in June 2020.
A photo taken that evening showed staff celebrating Ireland’s win in the contest to win a seat on the UN Security Council.
Up to 20 people were raising champagne glasses in the group photo and nobody was social distancing.
The country was subject to strict Covid restrictions at the time.
The Irish Mirror has seen a copy of Mr Coveney’s statement to be read out at committee before he takes questions.
It says: “Following the press conference, I made my way back to work in Iveagh House and went in through the open plan office to congratulate the UN Policy Unit team.
“I stayed for around 15 minutes and what I saw was a happy group of staff, but a tired group.
“Some were packing up to go home, and some were on phones and computers continuing their work.
“After I spoke and said thank you to the team who had worked so hard, I was told by a member of my team that a group photograph had been tweeted.
“That tweet was later taken down and the mistake acknowledged by then Secretary General Niall Burgess.
“At the time, I saw this as a mistake by the then Secretary General.
“However, with the benefit of hindsight, I accept that I should have formally raised the matter with him.”
Mr Coveney will praise Mr Burgess in his statement to the committee this afternoon, saying the boss’s error was “highly uncharacteristic.”
Mr Coveney will stress again that he himself was not there for the photo.
He is expected to say: “I was not present for the photograph, and my interaction with the staff involved took place after the photograph had been taken.”
Apologies from all will be expressed again through Mr Coveney when he will say: “This matter is a matter of deep regret for all involved in it.
“I hope the Report, the appearance of both myself and the Secretary General before the Committee here today, the establishment of the facts of the matter, the acknowledgement
that mistakes were made, and the sincere apologies of the different people involved can help us achieve a sense of perspective on this matter, and allow us re-focus on continuing on with the work being carried out by the Department, including on the UN Security Council.”
