A spokeswoman for the Minister for Public Enterprise has said Ms O'Rourke has had "no formal meetings" with the Independent Donegal South West TD, Mr Tom Gildea, on the issuing of television deflector licences, writes Kevin Rafter, Political Reporter.
Mr Gildea, who has an arrangement to support the minority Fianna Fail-PD Coalition, said at the weekend that substantial progress had been made on the licensing issue and that discussions with Ms O'Rourke were on-going.
However, the spokeswoman said Ms O'Rourke "had no powers or functions in the granting of deflector licences, which is the responsibility of the Office of Telecommunications Regulation".
Ms O'Rourke had met Mr Gildea, she said, but the Minister would know nothing about Mr Gildea's claim in the Sun- day Business Post that 60 illegal deflector operators in Co Donegal would get licences.
The four Independent TDs are to meet the Government Chief Whip soon to discuss their support for the Coalition. Mr Gildea was elected in 1997 on a pledge to obtain licences for deflector operators in Co Donegal.