Denis Naughten has resigned this afternoon.
Minister for Communications Denis Naughten has announced that he will resign from his role as Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment.
Naughten had been embroiled in a scandal over his meetings with Irish businessman David McCourt ahead of McCourt's bid for the Irish state's broadband contract.
Following speculation that Naughten would be removed from the office, he gave a short speech in the Dáil at 3pm on Thursday afternoon and confirmed that the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar does not have confidence in him, and as such he would be resigning.
Naughten, who is an independent TD for Roscommon-Galway, then exited the chamber.
It had been found in recent weeks that Naughten had met privately with David McCourt, paying for his lunch in Dáil Éireann, as well as giving him access to the Dáil Éireann bar and restaurant for a private birthday celebration.
Mr McCourt’s firm, Granahan McCourt, is part of a consortium bidding for the State broadband contract. It is the only bidder left in the process.
