The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, who has arranged to meet the Secretary-General of his Department, Mr Padraic MacKernan, in an attempt to restore their working relationship, has said that he was not instructed by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, to telephone Mr McKernan. Mr Andrews, who is accompanying the President, Mrs McAleese, on part of her visit to Canada, phoned Mr MacKernan on Saturday morning. They had a 10-minute conversation, their first direct communication since July. Mr Andrews and Mr McKernan are to meet next Thursday.
Government sources have confirmed that the Taoiseach was in contact with Mr Andrews and Mr McKernan on Saturday morning in an attempt to get them to sort out their differences.
Mr Andrews said yesterday he had made a value judgment. He felt it was necessary for him as Minister to take control of the situation and he rang Mr McKernan on his own initiative. They had a very valuable and cordial conversation for about 10 minutes and agreed to meet on Thursday.
There were a number of issues, Mr Andrews said, for them to discuss, including the question of promotions, and he understood the Secretary-General had his own ideas and would be making them known, but he also had his views.
The Minister said he then phoned the Taoiseach in Cork to tell him what he had done. He had been aware from public statements that the Taoiseach wanted closure on the matter. Mr Andrews said he appreciated Mr Ahern's public comments supporting him.
Asked if a Top Level Appointments Committee would be introduced in the Department of Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews said this was one of the matters that would be discussed between himself and the Secretary-General of the Department and other high-ranking officials.
Asked if he could go on working with Mr McKernan after the difficulties, Mr Andrews said: "Oh yes, he is a professional and I am a professional. He has been around as long as I have. There is no question about it, particularly in the national interest and in the interest of the Department of Foreign Affairs."
They would continue the work that had been done in extending consular offices in the US, spreading to Africa and reopening the embassy in Nairobi.
Mr Andrews said business in his Department had never stopped and he had just come back from a very successful meeting at the UN. It was absolutely not possible that work on the Northern Ireland issue would be affected. His Department had to take enormous credit for what had been achieved and he paid particular tribute to the work of Mr Dermot Gallagher. Much had been achieved to date and much would be achieved in the future.
A spokesman for the Department described the telephone conversation as "relaxed and friendly".
One of the first items on the agenda, according to the spokesman, would be promotions. The Management Advisory Committee (MAC) would not be changed, he added.
Departmental sources suggested that a modified form of the TLAC might be introduced to defuse the internal row over the promotion of three officials by ministerial direction in recent months.