Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers has rejected Sinn Féin claims he had responsibility as Fianna Fáil director of elections to publicly declare the party’s relationship with broadcaster Ivan Yates.
During a testy Dáil exchange on Tuesday, he told Sinn Féin whip Pádraig Mac Lochlainn that his party “has every right to hire contractors or media trainers as we see fit”.
Mr Chambers added: “It’s a matter for Ivan Yates to disclose any potential or direct conflicts of interest in his interaction or contribution to media organisations or as a commentator.”
The row follows earlier accusations by Fianna Fáil Minister of State Niall Collins, who said Fine Gael was trying to “undermine” his party by raising concerns over training provided to some of its senior figures by Mr Yates.
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Fianna Fáil has confirmed it hired Mr Yates during the presidential campaign to provide four hours of “interview and debate training” for its candidate Jim Gavin but said the former Fine Gael minister was not involved in its campaign team.
Six senior Fianna Fáil politicians, including Taoiseach Micheál Martin, were also given media training by Mr Yates.
Mr Martin, Minister for Housing James Browne and Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien were all coached by Mr Yates for the 2024 general election.
In the Dáil, Mr Mac Lochlainn told Mr Chambers: “You knew Ivan Yates was playing for your team, contributing to Fianna Fáil election strategy and then presenting himself as an independent commentator in the national media, yet you said nothing.”
He added: “Ivan Yates should have disclosed his working relationship with Fianna Fáil, but you were the director of elections for Fianna Fáil during the presidential election. Did you not see a responsibility to publicly declare this relationship?”
Mr Chambers said “I absolutely refute and reject” Mr Mac Lochlainn’s claim. He continued, saying it was a “matter of public record that Ivan Yates was providing media training to various politicians within Fianna Fáil over a series of years. Fianna Fáil has every right to hire contractors or media trainers as it sees fit”.
Insisting it was a matter for Mr Yates to disclose any conflicts of interest, he said “I’m sure Sinn Féin hires media trainers”, adding that the party “spends a lot of time hiring expert lawyers down in the High Court when it comes to defamation actions”.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio’s Morning Ireland on Tuesday, Mr Collins said there was no obligation on Fianna Fáil to disclose any contractual relationship.
The revelations that Mr Yates had provided services to Fianna Fáil was “not new news”, the Limerick County TD said.
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“Fianna Fáil, like any political party, like any organisation, procures services from people and there’s no obligation, in my opinion, for Fianna Fáil to be disclosing any contractual relationship that they have.”
Mr Collins added: “It’s not really any of Fine Gael’s business what media consultants or media trainers Fianna Fáil use . . . So I don’t understand why Minister Colm Brophy will be saying on radio when he’s asked in relation to this that Fianna Fáil have questions to answer. We don’t, in my view.
“I think that they’re just, in a subtle way, trying to undermine Fianna Fáil.”
Minister for Agriculture and Fine Gael TD Martin Heydon welcomed the move by Coimisiún na Meán to investigate the issue of independent commentators being on news programmes.
He said there was a broader issue involved when commentators like Mr Yates appeared on programmes where they were asked for a view but did not declare a conflict of interest.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Fine Gael said: “Ivan Yates has not done any [coaching] work for Fine Gael.
“The figure in our annual accounts relates to consultancy services; HR services, candidate support and training and media training. As is well known, Fine Gael has a long-standing relationship with the Communications Clinic who we retain for media training.”
