Opposition reaction: The Opposition has claimed the Minister for Transport, Mr Cullen, has been seriously undermined by the Quigley report into the contracts secured by Ms Monica Leech, despite the finding that he did not break any rules.
The Labour Party said the affair was very embarrassing for the Minister, while Fine Gael claimed a pattern had emerged which showed Mr Cullen immediately demanding additional communications advice whenever he arrived in a Government body and suggesting Ms Leech for the job.
Labour leader Mr Pat Rabbitte said the report was far from a clean bill of health for Mr Cullen and said it was clear that he had "sponsored" Ms Leech from the time he took office as a Minister of State. Mr Rabbitte noted that the only precedent with the OPW for the retention of a public relations consultant for work in a specific area was for the Farmleigh renovation project.
"Neither the handling of the purchase of Farmleigh or the e-voting debacle will be helpful to Minister Cullen as the Taoiseach now contemplates his future," he said. "Despite its careful and understated language it is clear from the report that at all times, in both the OPW and the Department of the Environment, the employment of Ms Leech was promoted by the Minister."
Mr Rabbitte said it was clear the contract Ms Leech won with the Department of the Environment was never advertised and said there was "no indication in the report as to which of the two tenders was the less expensive".
Fine Gael environment spokesman Mr Fergus O'Dowd said the Minister stayed within the law but the report highlighted numerous areas of questionable procedure.
Mr O'Dowd said Mr Quigley clearly identified risks that arose from Mr Cullen's suggestion that Ms Leech be considered for contracts.
"The report's conclusions and recommendations confirm that the questions raised by the Opposition were valid and appropriate. The method of appointment, the monitoring and content of work delivered and cost of the contract have all come in for particular comment by Mr Quigley."
The Green Party leader, Mr Trevor Sargent, maintained that Mr Cullen had been severely damaged by the affair. Mr Cullen has been confirmed as "the walking wounded given his unenviable track record" such as the squandering of over €50 million of taxpayers' money on the e-voting debacle, he said.
