Analysis: Zappone row illuminates uncompetitive nature of diplomatic appointments
The optics of a former cabinet colleague being hastily appointed to a prestigious international role are not good for the government, yet a change in policy of how such roles are filled is unlikely any time soon
From the supposedly safe distance of New York city, Katherine Zappone probably thought she had escaped the relentless controversy of the Irish political news cycle, having lost her seat as a TD at the last election. But the former Minister for Children was making headlines again this week for the wrong reasons.
A proposal brought to cabinet by Simon Coveney, Minister for Foreign Affairs, that Zappone be appointed as a United Nations Special Envoy for ...