Sargent resigns his ministerial position following allegations

Green Party junior minister Trevor Sargent has resigned his junior ministerial post following allegations that he attempted to influence legislative proceedings in favour of one of his constituents.

The resignation will come as a further blow to the government, following the recent resignation of former Minister of Defence Willie O'Dea.

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Speaking in the Dáil, Sargent said: "A victim of an assault came to me to voice his frustration against the slow progress made in a case [in which he'd been assaulted]...the victim was afraid for his own personal safety." Sargent stated that he merely wished to make the Gardaí aware of the constituent's fears and of the fact that the constituent had contacted him.

However, he accepted that "such a communication could be deemed not lawful". He continued: "I accept I made an error of judgment. Accordingly, I tender my resignation forthwith as Minister of State for Food and Horticulture."

Sargent denied any intention to influence the Gardaí. Earlier this afternoon, a spokeswoman for Sargent said: “Trevor Sargent made representations on behalf of a constituent who came to him after he was assaulted.

“Having heard the circumstances of the case, Mr Sargent asked the local gardaí to look into the case, particularly as the constituent feared for his personal safety."

Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy has requested an urgent report into the matter. He has requested all documentation in relation to this case, including any correspondence from Trevor Sargent to the Gardaí.

The accusations against Sargent have met with widespread surprise across the political spectrum. Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, Labour justice spokesman Pat Rabbitte said such actions were not typical of Sargent. 

Indeed, opposition parties have since questioned the timing of the release of the information. "How was it that this correspondence landed in the lap of the Evening Herald only now, some two years after they were written?" asked Eamonn Gilmore, leader of the Labour party. "Are we to believe that it was purely coincidental that this followed so soon after the enforced resignation of Willie O’Dea last week?"

Questions regarding the timing and source of the release of this information have also been raised by Fine Gael, the implication being that it was a revenge plot carried out by Fianna Fáil for the Greens part in Willie O'Dea's downfall.

This latest crisis heaps yet more pressure on the increasingly beleaguered Green Party. The party has come in for severe criticism in recent weeks, most recently for the resignation of Senator Deirdre de Búrca and for their slow response to the allegations made against former Minister of Defence Willie O'Dea last week.

However, Sargent is one of the highest profile Green Party TDs and his resignation represents the most serious blow to the party thus far.

Politico.ie will publish more details on this story as they become available.

Trevor Sargent biography

Trevor Sargent was first elected to Dail Eireann as TD for Dublin North in 1992. He had previously served as the representative for Balbriggan on Fingal County Council, having unsuccessfully contested the 1987 and 1989 general elections. He was subsequently returned in the 1997, 2002 and 2007 general elections, and was elected as the first official leader of the Green Party in 2001.

After leading the party during the general election of 2007, wherein the party returned six candidates to the Dail, Sargent resigned from his position as leader despite endorsing the proposed programme for governement put forward by his party.

He was appointed Minister of State for Food and Horticulture by Bertie Ahern in June 2007.

Trevor Sargent on:
Oireachtas members database
Elections Ireland
KildareStreet.com