Deputy Michael Lowry voted in favour of a Confidence Motion in Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney in Leinster House on Wednesday evening.
Minister Coveney survived the much-publicised Motion of No Confidence proposed by Sinn Fein, which was followed by a Motion of Confidence tabled by the Government. The Government Motion passed by 92 votes to 59.
Addressing the Government Confidence Motion, Deputy Lowry said that the appointment of Katherine Zappone was mismanaged from the start and has damaged the perception of Government competence. ‘It left the door open for legitimate criticism. However, Sinn Fein has magnified and exaggerated the issue’ he said.
‘Minister Coveney has explained through the required channels the details of the events that occurred. He has admitted that things could and should have been done differently. The Minister has apologised for his mistakes.
‘His error of judgement in this instance is not in keeping with his longstanding political character. Simon Coveney has always been cautious, careful and prudent in his actions and commentary on political issues.
‘Minister Coveney is known for his integrity and commitment which has been flawless over the years. I find him sincere and genuine’ said Deputy Lowry.
‘The people of this country have been through an extremely difficult and challenging time. Covid has taken up a huge amount of Dail time since March 2020. People now want to move forward. They wish to hear what the future holds in terms of our dysfunctional Health Service, our economy, housing for their families and a host of other matters that have genuine importance in their lives.
‘I run a busy office. Contact with the general public keeps me in tune with public opinion. This matter has never registered as a serious issue in the public mind. The feedback I get from the public is one of puzzlement as to how or why it has dominated media coverage.
‘It is time to move on and address the real and substantiative issues facing our country.
‘I am happy to declare confidence in Minister Coveney’ concluded Deputy Lowry.
