Despite winning a vote of confidence in the Dail Wednesday, Defence Minister Willie O’Dea remains under intense pressure to resign from his post following fresh developments Thursday.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen met Thursday evening with Green Party Leader John Gormley to discuss O’Dea after Green Party Senator Dan Boyle revealed following the vote he had no confidence in the Minister.
“As regards to Minister O’Dea I don’t have confidence in him. His situation is compromised. Probably be a few chapters in this story yet,” Boyle posted on his Twitter account following the vote in the Dail.
The result of the parliamentary meeting was not expected to be made public Thursday night.
Meanwhile the audio tape of the interview between Limerick Leader journalist Mike Dwane and Mr. O’Dea has been released by the paper. A transcript of the conversation reads as follows,
O’Dea: …while we occasionally we send out letters to planning applicants we have never been involved with anybody who shot anybody or robbed banks or kidnapped people or anything like that you know. I suppose I’m going a bit too far when I say this but I’d like to ask Mr Quinlivan is the brothel still closed?
Dwane: Is the brothel still closed?
O’Dea: Is the brothel still closed?
Dwane: What brothel is that?
O’Dea: Do you know the brothel they found in his name and in his brother’s name down in Clancy Strand yea?
Dwane: Never heard about that.
O’Dea: Did you not hear that? You better check with your sources. They found a house owned by him that was rented out, they found two ladies of the night operating in there in the last couple of weeks.
Mr. O’Dea pleaded his case once again during an interview on RTE Radio Thursday afternoon in which he said he freely admitted he made “a bad mistake”.
“I’ve paid heavily for it,” the embattled Limerick T.D told the ‘One O’clock news’.
National radio reported Thursday night that Mr. O’Dea would be tendering his resignation later in the evening and would be making a statement on the matter.
