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Investigates Investigates Money Diaries The Journal TV Climate Crisis Cost of Living Road Safety Newsletters Temperature Check Inside the Newsroom The Journal Investigates Daft.ie Property Allianz Home The 42 Sport TG4 Entertainment The Explainer A deep dive into one big news story Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Advertisement More Stories Simon Harris speaking to reporters this morning. Harris annoyed FG got heat over 'smear the bejaysus' when it was FF who hired Yates The fallout continues for the coalition from the presidential campaign. 9.19am, 4 Nov 2025 Share options FALLOUT CONTINUES FOR the coalition over revelations that Fianna Fáil hired Ivan Yates to train Jim Gavin for the presidential election while the broadcaster was also working as an analyst covering the campaign. Tánaiste Simon Harris has expressed frustration over the attention Fine Gael got over Yates’s supposed involvement in their campaign, when in reality it was Fianna Fáil that had recruited the former government minister. Although Yates’s active involvement in the campaign has only publicly emerged in recent days, he attracted criticism during the Áras race when he said that were he contacted for advice by Fine Gael, he would “smear the bejaysus” out of candidate Catherine Connolly. Speaking to reporters outside Leinster House this morning, Harris said: “It’s frustrating to me that many of you in the media during the presidential election campaign asking Fine Gael candidates time and time again, asking about comments that Ivan Yates apparently gave to Fine Gael when it’s quite clear not only was he not advising Fine Gael, but he was being paid for by another party.” The Tánaiste’s comments came shortly after Fianna Fáil junior minister Niall Collins told RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland programme that Fine Gael takes “every opportunity it can to undermine” Fianna Fáil and the Taoiseach. Harris said that he didn’t “want to comment on an internal Fianna Fail matter”, adding that his party’s coalition partner has provided information in relation already. “That’s a matter for them who they decide to be trained by, and it’s for them to comment on that,” Harris said. Advertisement Harris added that there are “legitimate issues around transparency in media” for broadcasters and the regulator Coimisiún na Meán to consider as well. He said it’s now “very clear” that the issue “goes beyond the presidential election” and that he welcomed that the commission was examining the controversy. Harris said that the “presidential election has happened” and he wished to move on to government business, including issues surrounding housing, migration and disability. Fine Gael Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon also said this morning that it was “disappointing” that the issue had not been clarified sooner by Fianna Fáil or Yates. Ultimately, Heydon said, it was to be welcomed that Coimisiún na Meán is now carrying out a review. Fianna Fáil broke its silence on Yates’s role in its presidential campaign after it emerged over the weekend the former Fine Gael minister had been involved in debate preparation for its candidate Jim Gavin. TodayFM presenter Matt Cooper, who co-presented political podcast Path to Power with Yates since December 2023, said he was “gobsmacked” to learn of Yates’s work for Fianna Fáil during the campaign. The news of Yates’ involvement in the election campaign, on the back of another poor showing in a newspaper poll over the weekend, which sees Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin’s popularity drop to 33% in the space a month, has only ratcheted up bad feelings among backbenchers. Those The Journal asked about the matter said it was just another “embarrassing” revelation, but the majority said they didn’t expect it to make much of a difference to the overall assessment of the presidential campaign. With reporting by Christina Finn Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. 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