High claim due to not being cute, says Deasy

THE highest claiming expenses TD in the Dáil, John Deasy, has put his high claim record as being down to him “not being as cute” as his other 165 colleagues.

The Waterford Fine Gael Deputy topped the expenses league table for 2004 with a whopping €110,092, which is €40,000 more than the total claimed by constituency colleague Ollie Wilkinson (FF) and more than double the €52,337 expenses bill of Labour’s Brian O’Shea.

However, Deputy Deasy is at pains to stress that his €110,000 plus claim in fact covers both 2003 and last year, and but for that he would not be anywhere near the poll topping position he currently holds.