The future of the government and the National Broadband Plan looks in doubt after the resignation of the Communications Minister.
Denis Naughten stepped down yesterday after controversy over meetings he had with a businessman involved in the bid for the broadband licence.
Speaking in the Dáil yesterday Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: "Ceann Comhairle, sometimes there are days when I have to make decisions that may cause deep personal distress to others but are necessary for the good of the country and today is one of those days."
Sources said Mr Naughten's story about how many times he met businessman David McCourt had changed a number of times.
Mr McCourt is heading up the last remaining bidder for the National Broadband Plan contract, and it was revealed yesterday met then Minister Naughten for private dinners four times.
Deputy Naughten insists he has to meet investors as Minister, and that is how business is done.
He believes the pressure on him to resign was more about PR than practicality.
"If I was a cynic, which I'm not, I would believe the outcome is more about opinion polls than telephone poles, more about optics than fibre optics," Mr Naughten said in his speech announcing his resignation as minister.
Denis Naughten resigns as Minister for Communications | https://t.co/jdNnfMXUOt pic.twitter.com/cosNnTaZJ0
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) October 11, 2018
Minister Richard Bruton has been appointed to the communications brief on a temporary basis.
The shock resignation has left questionmarks looming over the future of the National Broadband Plan, and the government itself.
Fianna Fáil TD Timmy Dooley says it is hard to say if there will be a snap election.
"Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will sit down to review the confidence and supply arrangement to look to whether or not it's possible to put in place a new arrangement," said Deputy Dooley.
"That's going to play out over the next number of weeks so we'll see where that goes but for sure the government have lost some of their members.
"So their numbers are getting tighter."
Digital Desk
