THE Tanaiste, Mr Spring, intervened to direct the Minister of State in his Department, Ms Eithne Fitzgerald, to cancel the controversial £100 a plate fund raising lunch and his decision was unanimously supported by the parliamentary Labour Party.
However, as Fine Gael discontent over the incident continued to emerge yesterday, a spokesman the Tanaiste said that the question of Ms Fitzgerald resigning "does not arise". A spokeswoman for the Minister of State confirmed that she had not offered her resignation, nor had it been sought.
The chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party, Mr Michael Bell, said yesterday that he had discussed the matter with Mr Spring before last Wednesday's meeting of the PLP.
"I felt the lunch should be terminated," he said. "I had come to the conclusion that it had gone far enough. The party leader indicated to me that he was making a directive to the Minister. I put a proposal to the meeting that the PLP agree with the directive to be given to the Minister by the party leader."
The PLP meeting, which Ms Fitzgerald did not attend because of other duties, approved Mr Spring's directive. "The PLP did not approve of her doing this. The position was that it was generally accepted there had been an error of judgment and it was time to close this chapter," Mr Bell added.
However, the Minister's spokeswoman said that the Dublin South Labour Party constituency which had arranged the fund raising lunch, had agreed before the PLP meeting that it should be cancelled. Ms Fitzgerald, who could not be contacted yesterday had been "party to that decision".
A number of Fine Gael TDs yesterday voiced their concerns at the manner in which the controversy was handled. A number them suggested that the Minister's resignation would be appropriate.
The South Tipperary TD, Ms Theresa Ahearn, said that the same standards should be followed by all the parties in coalition. "What she did was most definitely an impropriety. Hugh Coveney and Phil Hogan took very honourable course by resigning over perceived improprieties. Who is making the judgment they should go, but that Fitzgerald should stay?"
Other Fine Gael sources said that Ms Fitzgerald's resignation had not been requested because the Minister for Finance had seen the contentious lunch invitation before it had been issued to business people. A resignation by her would have had implications for Mr Quinn, the sources said.
The Labour TD for Clare, Dr Moosajec Bhamjee, said that, as far as he and his PLP colleagues were concerned, the matter was now closed. "We agree with the cancellation of the lunch. It is a minor issue. She has full support for cancelling the lunch. It was more an oversight than an error of judgment."
Ms Fitzgerald, who drew up the Ethics in Public Office legislation, has been in the political spotlight since she invited business people to avail of a "rare opportunity" to lunch with Mr Quinn at a time when he was putting the finishing touches to the Finance Bill. The matter is understood to have caused deep annoyance to the Tanaiste.