Overview
- Fianna Fáil confirmed Ivan Yates provided roughly four hours of late-September media coaching to Jim Gavin focused on two scheduled interviews.
- Newstalk said it is reviewing the matter after Yates presented on three dates during the Presidential Election without declaring any conflict of interest.
- Ivan Yates has been dropped as co-host of the Path To Power podcast, with Matt Cooper citing listeners’ right to know about his paid work for Gavin.
- Tánaiste Simon Harris said it was frustrating that Fine Gael candidate Heather Humphreys faced repeated questions about a supposed smear plan, noting Yates was paid by another party.
- Yates said on Newstalk’s Calling It podcast on 9 October that Fine Gael should “smear the bejaysus” out of Catherine Connolly, a line political leaders have distanced themselves from.