FG demands papers relating to Leech contracts

Fine Gael has demanded the release of official papers relating to the awarding of controversial public relations consultancies…

Fine Gael has demanded the release of official papers relating to the awarding of controversial public relations consultancies to Ms Monica Leech.

The Quigley Report cleared the Minister of Transport Martin Cullen of any wrongdoing in relation to PR contracts awarded to his political associate Ms Leech, but said there may have been a perception of impropriety.

But Fine Gael frontbench spokesman Fergus O'Dowd claimed during Taoiseach's Questions today that he had been refused the documents following a request under the FOI Act and called on Mr Ahern to release them.

Mr Ahern said: "I can't because I don't have them. It's a matter for the Freedom of Information legislation."

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The report, which was published at the end of January by former revenue chief Dermot Quigley, investigated contracts worth more than €300,000 awarded to Ms Leech by Mr Cullen when he served in the Department of Environment and Local Government and the Office of Public Works since 2002.

Labour leader Pat Rabbitte also supported the Fine Gael call and added that Ms Leech "had no experience commensurate with the level of fees commanded".

He said that if litigation arose from the report the documents would be accessed via a discovery order in a court case.

He added: "We're talking about a very large amount of taxpayers' money here.

"The fees commanded in this case would only be commanded in this city by the top dozen senior partners in long-established public relations companies."

Mr Ahern said the report had clearly stated that both departments had been very satisfied with Ms Leech's quality of work.

It had never called her qualifications or professional experience into question, he added.

"I'm not in a position to take an alternative view from that," he told Mr Rabbitte.