Deputy FG leader 'did not call hospitalised Limerick TD' Patrick O'Donovan
Patrick O’Donovan reportedly took phone call before he was rushed to hospital with seizure
DEPUTY Fine Gael leader Helen McEntee has said she is not the senior party figure who called Limerick TD Patrick O’Donovan before he took ill.
The Communications Minister was rushed to hospital after falling ill during a summit of European leaders at University of Limerick (UL) earlier this month.
It came after he suffered a seizure, related to his epilepsy diagnosis, which he has spoken openly about.
He had accused colleagues who had been briefing about him to the media of “the ultimate in betrayal”.
At the event in UL, Mr O’Donovan was understood to have taken a call from a party colleague just before he took ill – the fact he was on the phone delayed a photoshoot featuring the fellow European Union Communications Ministers he was hosting at UL.
Asked about the reports, Ms McEntee said: “I can’t comment on, nor can I shed any light in terms of the question you’ve asked – and, you know, I wasn’t speaking to him at that time.”
Earlier, she said: “I just want to say very clearly I wish him well and have been engaging with him.”
She added: “But obviously, it’s important for him to take time to recuperate with his family, and that’s the most important thing.
Ms McEntee said that he has the full support of all of his colleagues in Government and in Cabinet.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, was speaking at an event with EU Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and Canadian Minister for International Trade, Maninder Sidhu. Last week, Fine Gael leader Simon Harris criticised any party colleague briefing against colleagues “will not be tolerated”.