Kenny may have known of O'Brien attending US event

TAOISEACH ENDA Kenny may have been aware that Denis O’Brien would be attending a breakfast event at the New York Stock Exchange in March, Government sources have accepted.

However, the Taoiseach was not aware beforehand that the businessman and media owner would be part of a group photograph showing the Taoiseach ringing the bell of the famous Wall Street institution, the sources have maintained.

New information released under a Freedom of Information request by Fianna Fáil has shown that the Irish Consulate in New York had prepared a background briefing for the Taoiseach 12 days before his visit. It included information identifying prospective guests, including Mr O’Brien.

The Government has responded by saying there were two separate events on the day at the stock exchange: a breakfast organised by Business and Finance publisher Ian Hyland and a separate event on the gallery where Mr Kenny rang the bell to open business at the exchange.

The sources said Mr Kenny had referred to the second event, the photo opportunity on the gallery of the exchange, in previous comments when saying he was unaware Mr O’Brien would be present.

Asked during the Fine Gael ardfheis later in March about the event, Mr Kenny said: “I had no idea of who was going to be there. I pressed the bell. Obviously Mr O’Brien was on that platform. I am not in a position as Taoiseach to vet the lists of attendees of any particular function that I intend.”

The sources said yesterday that that comments were not inconsistent with Mr Kenny having read the briefing document.

“It is possible that the Taoiseach saw it. His comments [at the ardfheis] were in response to who was on the balcony [for the photograph]. He said he pressed the bell and did not know who was there. The question clearly related to who was on the balcony.”

Details of the Department of Foreign Affairs document released to Fianna Fáil were carried in the Sunday Independent yesterday.

It stated that 14 participants had been included thus far. Mr O’Brien was identified as one of those.

Contacted yesterday, the Government spokesman said the Taoiseach had made it clear he had no role whatsoever in organising or vetting the guest lists for such events.

The photograph of the Taoiseach among a group of people on the gallery of the stock exchange, including Mr O’Brien, attracted criticism from Opposition parties and also from a number of Ministers, including Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton and the Minister of State for European Affairs Lucinda Creighton.