Former politician Ivor Callely is facing another term in jail for breaking a court order forcing him to pay a debt to an accountancy firm.
The ex-Fianna Fáil politician and former minister of state was jailed for five months in 2014 for using false invoices to claim expenses of €4,207.45 at Leinster House between November 2007 and December 2009 while a member of the Seanad.
On Tuesday, Callely (57), of St Lawrence's Road, Clontarf, appeared before Judge Michael Coghlan at Dublin District Court.
The proceedings result from his failure to comply with terms of a 2013 District Court judgment compelling him to pay a €1,755 debt to Galway-based accountants Gallagher & Company, who have asked the judge to issue a committal order.
‘A reasonable living’
Callely, who claims he needs a €2,500 a month “for a reasonable living”, said he had done his best to contact the creditor, but Judge Michael Coghlan told him he was in contempt of court orders.
Threatening to jail him, the judge said he was not impressed with his evidence and wanted to see proof of his income and expenditure.
Judge Coghlan said he would not proceed with a committal order on Tuesday but he adjourned the case for four weeks.
He gave the former TD and senator a “formal warning” that he would issue the committal order if Callely does does not provide the court and the creditor with adequate information in advance of the next hearing.