TAOISEACH MICHEAL MARTIN has said he doesn’t know what happened between the General Secretary of the Department of Health Robert Watt and the Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien in a pub recently. 

The Irish Daily Mail reported that Watt, one of the country’s top civil servants confronted the housing minister in a crowded pub over the Cabinet member’s comment that details of his €81,000 pay rise should be published.

The newspaper reported that Watt challenged the minister after he publicly called for “transparency” about the salary rise.  

When asked about the incident by reporters this afternoon in Berlin, the Taoiseach said:

“I wasn’t there that evening. So, I am not going to comment on what may or may not have transpired.”

When asked if was going to ask any questions about the matter, Martin said:

“Not really, I don’t go around asking who said what and where in the pub. It wouldn’t be the most fruitful use of my time. I don’t know what happened. Banter can happen from time to time, you know.”

Watt was previously secretary-general of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, where he earned €211,000. In his new current role in the Department of Health, he was to receive an increase to bring his salary to €292,000.