Simon Harris confirms he spoke to Patrick O'Donovan before he became unwell

TÁNAISTE AND FINE Gael leader Simon Harris has confirmed he spoke to Patrick O’Donovan on the phone shortly before the Culture Minister fell ill and was rushed to hospital.

Harris insisted the call was “routine” and stressed that he had not asked his party colleague to stand down as a minister.

Speculation has been rife in Leinster House over the events that immediately preceded O’Donovan taking ill as he hosted a meeting with EU telecommunications ministers in Limerick earlier this month.

Speaking on his return after paternity leave, Harris also denied to reporters on Wednesday that he had been responsible for anonymous briefings against O’Donovan in the Sunday Times earlier this month.

finance minister Harris said he was unhappy with the anonymous briefing and further said the phone call between him and O’Donovan before his hospitalisation was not a contentious conversation.

“I met with Patrick last night and with his family. And yes, I did speak to him on Tuesday during that conference. Conversations that I have with my ministers are private. The way I’ve seen them characterised is inaccurate,” Harris said.

“I also was annoyed with the briefing that had taken place in the Sunday Times, and I know that that had caused hurt, and I wanted to vocalise that as well, and I welcome the fact that our executive council has also endorsed my statement in relation to that,” Harris said, referring to a statement he issued from Fine Gael HQ while he was on paternity leave endorsing the media minister.

Earlier this month, O’Donovan was taken by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick after he became unwell at an informal meeting of EU presidency event at the University of Limerick.

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Speaking to reporters at the same event, before his hospitalisation, O’Donovan hit out at quotes from anonymous government ministers about his health in the previous weekend’s Sunday papers, describing them as “hurtful” and “the ultimate betrayal”.

“I do think bringing a person’s health into public discourse in the manner in which it was, through an anonymous source, is something that I haven’t seen before,” O’Donovan had said at the EU presidency event.

The minister had returned to work in September after a period of illness over the summer.

In July, O’Donovan, who has been open about his experience of living with epilepsy, became unwell and was hospitalised in Belgium before being flown back to Ireland on the government’s private jet a few days later.

Speaking on Wednesday to reporters, Harris denied allegations that he had been “silent” in the aftermath of the incident, arguing that it is “bizarre” to criticise him over not making statements while he was on paternity leave.

“I was on paternity leave. Quite frankly, I had better things to do last week than answer people’s queries,” Harris said.

“I was with my newborn baby. I make absolutely no apology for taking paternity leave. None, none whatsoever. None. I’m back now.

Harris also said that he met with O’Donovan on Tuesday night, who he said is doing well and he look forward to “welcoming Patrick back to work”.

With reporting from PA