THE CEANN Comhairle John O’Donoghue was yesterday criticised by constituency rivals for his silence over the continuing controversy relating to his expenses for foreign trips and his use of the Government jet.
The Independent TD for Kerry South Jackie Healy Rae and his son Cllr Michael Healy Rae separately urged Mr O’Donoghue to break his silence on the expenses issue.
The controversy surrounds a number of foreign trips taken by Mr O’Donoghue when he was minister for arts, sport and tourism, which cost over €100,000 over a period of two years.
A report in the Sunday Tribune disclosed that accommodation in a hotel in Venice amounted to some €900 per night. Mr O’Donoghue used the Government jet to fly from Cannes to Kerry for a constituency event during a six-day trip, where the jet was also used to fly to Cardiff for the Heineken Cup final and to London to attend a Ryder Cup event.
The then minister flew back to Cannes for a second time before returning to Ireland via London. The overall cost of using the jet for the trips is estimated to have amounted to €32,400.
The Sunday Tribune also reported that €9,616 was spent on car hire during a trip by Mr O’Donoghue and officials to Cannes and €7,591 was spent on “airport pick-ups” during a two-day trip to London.
Michael Healy Rae, speaking on RTÉ yesterday, said that Mr O’Donoghue was doing himself a great disservice by not speaking out on the matter.
“This story is not going to go away. He is not coming out and clarifying his position because of the expenditure.
“What people in South Kerry are saying,” said Mr Healy Rae, “is that they are not happy to have any politician leading what I would consider a rock-star or a movie-star lifestyle.
“If a politician is away and they have to stay in a hotel . . . when you are not paying for it yourself you are not supposed to be looking for the most expensive option. You are supposed to be as frugal with the taxpayers’ money as you need to be.”
His father, Jackie Healy Rae, said that the onus was on Mr O’Donoghue to justify his expenses.
“It’s all his own business but I think a statement clarifying what he spent and why he deserved it would be helpful,” the independent TD told the Kerryman.
Mr O’Donoghue’s spokesman in the Ceann Comhairle’s office has not been contactable this week.
The Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism said that the use of the jet fell within the standard government guidelines for ministerial usage.
The special group on public service numbers and expenditure, chaired by Colm McCarthy, also known as “An Bord Snip Nua”, recommended in its report last month that Government departments pay the full commercial cost for ministerial air travel.
The measure is designed to cut down on usage of the Government jets and other aircraft by Ministers.
