Micheál Martin has said “lessons must be learned” from the Katherine Zappone Merriongate controversy.
And he added that any appointments to cushy government jobs - like a Special Envoy job in New York - in the future must be open to competition.
The Taoiseach was speaking in Cork on Monday afternoon before a tranche of documents and whatsapp messages in relation to the whole affair were expected to be released by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Former Minister Ms Zappone was appointed to a new position of Special Envoy for freedom of expression to the UN by Foreign Affairs Minister, Simon Coveney, last month without any open recruitment process.
She subsequently declined to accept the role following a public outcry, but the controversy over the selection process has rumbled on into September.
Mr Martin said recruitment processes for government roles will have to change going forward.
He said: “Lessons must be learned going into the future….. I think the Department of Foreign Affairs should conduct a full review in relation to that.
“And that if there are to be any further appointments going into the future, that they be done by open public competition.
“I think these are lessons we have to learn from this particular episode.
“I think the transparency will flow.”
