Following event held for 50 people
Katherine Zappone will not accept the role of UN Special Envoy.
It comes after she held an event for 50 people, including the Tánaiste, at the Merrion Hotel in Dublin.
The hotel is insisting the event was Covid compliant.
It was held less than a week before Ms Zappone was appointed a Special Envoy by the Government.
The former Children's Minister issued a statement on her decision, "While I am honoured to have been appointed by the Government to be the Special Envoy on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, it is clear that criticism of the appointment process has impacted the legitimacy of the role itself.
"It is my conviction that a Special Envoy role can only be of real value to Ireland and to the global community if the appointment is acceptable to all parties," she said.
"For this reason, I have decided not to accept this appointment, and I have communicated my decision to the Minister for Foreign Affairs".
Earlier today, Ms. Zappone issued a statement to RTÉ:
Statement to @RTENewsAtOne from Katherine Zappone:
— Bryan Dobson (@BryanNewsatOne) August 4, 2021
"Please contact the Merrion Hotel for their statement regarding compliance with government covid-19 restrictions and guidelines for my private event....
Katherine Zappone statement continued:
— Bryan Dobson (@BryanNewsatOne) August 4, 2021
"Prior to organizing the event I enquired, and was assured by the Merrion Hotel, that the event would be in compliance with government covid-19 restrictions and guidelines."
Fianna Fáil Senator Eugene Murphy says the news has gone down very badly in his party:
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