The Arts Minister has appeared in the Seanad to explain why she appointed an unsuccessful Donegal election candidate to a state board.
John McNulty, who contested the Donegal Electoral Area for Fine Gael was made a director of the Irish Museum of Modern Art, just six days before citing that job as grounds to be elected to the Seanad’s cultural panel.
Last evening the government was defeated in a Seanad vote, forcing minister Heather Humphreys to come to the chamber and defend her nomination of Mr Byrne, despite the fact that he hadn’t applied for the position.
MInister Humphreys insists she acted properly……….
Responding, Fianna Fail senator Thomas Byrne claimed giving Mr McNulty the job was an abuse of the minister’s power, and accused her of making the appointment as a result of “instructions from above”.
He says Mr Mc Nulty’s tenure on the board is likely to be a very short one…………..
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