The Seanad Éireann Committee on Members' Interests is to meet on Monday to discuss recent allegations against Senator Ivor Callely.
The committee was due to meet on August 31st but moved the date forward so it could consider how to deal with recent reports and complaints about the former junior minister’s expenses.
Mr Callely previously came under attack for claiming expenses for travel from a property in Cork while his office was listed as being in Dublin.
Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy has written to the clerk of the Seanad seeking clarification of matters relating to Mr Callely, who has been suspended without prejudice by Fianna Fáil while an internal investigation into allegations against him takes place.
Minister of State Conor Lenihan told RTÉ it was "high time" Mr Callely gave an explanation of the allegations against him. He said that if the allegations were true Mr Callely would have to resign.
Mr Lenihan said the prolonged silence regarding the matter was doing huge and untold damage to people's view of politicians.
Independent Senator Joe O’Toole, a member of the committee, yesterday called for an earlier meeting to discuss the issue.
Headed by Ceann Comhairle Séamus Kirk, this 11-member cross-party group of TDs and Senators oversees Dáil and Seanad expenditure, payment of salaries and expenses to members and staff, and keeping and publishing annual accounts.
Mr Callely was last month suspended for 20 days after the committee found he had misrepresented his normal place of residence as west Cork instead of Dublin for the purpose of travel-related expense claims.
In a letter to the committee chairman, Seanad Cathaoirleach Pat Moylan, Mr O’Toole wrote: “I believe we should convene an early meeting of the Members’ Interests Committee to assess that complaint.
“It might be necessary to facilitate some members who are on family holidays by arranging teleconferencing for them.”
The invoices that are the subject of complaint date from 2002-2006, during which period Mr Callely was a TD for Dublin North Central and a minister of state at the Department of Health and, later, the Department of Transport. He resigned as a junior minister in December 2005.
Referring to the purchase of Nokia mobile phones, car-kit installation and other costs, the invoices are on headed notepaper of Business Communications Ltd, with an address in Fairview, Dublin, which filed its last annual return in 1993, had a liquidator appointed in 1994 and was later officially dissolved.