LAWYERS FOR Senator Ivor Callely have written to the Seanad investigating committee about its recent finding that he misrepresented his normal place of residence for the purposes of claiming Oireachtas expenses.
The Committee on Members’ Interests of Seanad Éireann will meet on Monday at 2pm to decide how to proceed following new complaints to the Garda and the committee’s clerk about Mr Callely’s expenses.
Mr Callely made almost €3,000 worth of expenses claims for mobile phones and related services with receipts from a company that had ceased trading, it is alleged.
His Oireachtas salary has been suspended for the final two weeks of July.
The committee’s report published last month said he should be suspended from the Seanad for 20 days without salary. The letter from Mr Callely’s solicitors, received in recent days, appears to take issue with the findings of the report.
The committee will discuss how to proceed following the decision by Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy to write to the clerk of the Seanad, Deirdre Lane, about the new complaints, including one from Green Party TD Paul Gogarty.
Also on the agenda is a discussion of the expenses of Senator Larry Butler, who also resigned the Fianna Fáil whip in June, and Senator Ann Ormonde, who retains the party whip.
Minister for Tourism Mary Hanafin yesterday described the continuing controversy about Mr Callely’s expenses as an “embarrassment”.
Mr Callely, who cannot be reached for comment, resigned the party whip in June and his membership of Fianna Fáil was suspended “without prejudice” on Tuesday.
Fine Gael Senator Eugene Regan called on the Senators to refer the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions, insisting their committee did not have the power to administer “the appropriate sanctions”.
Mr Regan said: “It must stop shilly-shallying where Callely is concerned.”
Mr Callely has not been invited to the meeting which will take place in private session. It was originally scheduled for August 31st but has been brought forward. Oireachtas lawyers, as well as all committee members, are expected to be present.
The committee is chaired by Pat Moylan of Fianna Fáil. Other members are Frances Fitzgerald of Fine Gael, Labour’s Alex White, Independent Senator Joe O’Toole, Fianna Fáil Senator Camillus Glynn and Senator Denis O’Donovan, who is currently without the Fianna Fáil whip.
Green Party chairman Senator Dan Boyle will attend the initial part of the meeting to explain his wish to absent himself because he has spoken out openly about the issue.
His substitute on the committee, Mark Deary, is unavailable on Monday but is willing to attend future meetings if required.
A complaint against Independent Senator Ronan Mullen lodged by People Before Profit Alliance member Martin O’Sullivan will also be considered at the meeting.
This refers to an anecdote related by Mr Mullen on RTÉ’s Drivetime programme on June 3rd, when he said an elected representative had told him he should claim expenses from an address farther away than his actual address when he joined the Seanad.
Mr O’Sullivan called on Mr Mullen to name the person.
“I’m happy to answer any question that anybody has,” Mr Mullen said. “I think I’ve acted properly in telling the story because in hindsight, I believe it reflects a culture that existed at the time, but I would draw the line at outing somebody for making a comment in a casual forum, which for all I know they may not have meant.
“They may have been trying to get a rise out of me.”
